Condition of the Souls
by BeyondWords
Summary: To embrace her destiny, Kagome must correct Naraku's damage in various time periods with help from IY, Sesshoumaru, Inutaisho and her other comrades. Along the way, ongoing stress causes various couples to admit their true feelings. Phase 2 has begun!
1. Kagome's Purpose and Possibilities

Name of fic: Condition of the Souls

Genre: Action/Adventure/ Romance (with some time travel, suspense and humor!)

Rating: PG-13 due to language and the fights

Description: Naraku is trying to destroy humanity by messing with time and creating more SnT. Being special souls, Kagome+IY'll use info from IY's father, Inutaisho, to coordinate different time period's attacks to defeat Naraku. Please R+R!

A/N- I don't own Inuyasha, although I would have lots of money if I did… Besides if I owned it, this would not be fanfiction!

**BIG A/N: All italics denote internal thoughts. Japanese words in plural will not have the letter "s" on the end, like youkais, hanyous, mikos… In Japanese, there is no plural and although I am writing this in English, I will follow the original. **

**I have no beta, so give me a break about a few typos- just tell me about them and I'll change them.** (**I originally wrote the first five chapters in first person, so please forgive me! It's hard to find them all due to top-down processing in reading and editing my work, but I am trying.)**

**Condition of the Souls**

Pt 1: Kagome's Purpose and Possibilities

"'Since I am possible…then all is possible.'

Data considered this a moment. 'Are you saying that you are the keeper of time and protect it from trespass…but since every man's fate is in his own hands, you really cannot protect it from those who wish to affect it.' …

'In every moment of time that there is…then I am there. As you exist within all the moments of your lifetime. But you exist in the individual moments. I exist in all.'"- Peter David's Imzadi, page 11.

Seeing the life around him continue without ceasing, there is nothing for him to do but to watch, to protect and to wait. His power may be forgotten by those around him, but it is no matter, not to him. They choose to see what they wish to see and forget that for which they have no use. Another spring, another year, and another age of lonely silence passes. These measures of time have no meaning for him; time periods seem to melt into each other.

The Goshinboku watches over the small shrine with fondness. This is his family, for the moment. The young woman, Kagome, travels back in time and where he can still watch over her. "She is more special than she knows and her journey is only beginning. She sits under the shelter of my branches and wonders about Inuyasha, that young hanyou that was sealed to me so many years ago." And yet, all that time seems to be but an instant to the wise tree.

"Some people call me the God tree and in my heart, I laugh at that. I am not a god or God. I do exist in many different times and in moments that belong to many others. Still, very few know me for what I truly am, a time tree. Kikyo knows me as I am, but ironically Kikyo is now as I am but is also completely unlike me. She is out of time; she is an oddity. On the other hand, I am in time; I partially help to define it simply by my presence. After all, that is my job. If Kikyo was still alive, I would think that it was her job to complete this task. Now Kikyo is incapable of helping me, not only because of her state of mind, but also because she does not belong on this Earth any longer. No, now is Kagome's time to step out and complete her mission." He stops musing for a moment to watch Kagome run to the well house with a heavy bag on her back. As she disappears from sight, he continues to muse. "Yes, soon enough, Kagome, you will know of me and your destiny. You will also know more than you ever wanted to know."

(break)

Kagome has grown in mind, body and spirit in the years that she has spent traveling between the two times. She has found ways to juggle all of her responsibilities and has managed to graduate from high school with honors. Her mental and emotional maturity increase with every day that passes; Kagome is growing up.

Kagome, now eighteen years old, climbs out of the well in dark blue jeans and a v-neck green t-shirt. She pulls her bag over the ledge and places it on the ground beside her. She sits for a moment to rest and think before returning to the village. _Three years ago I came here for the first time and it was then that I met Inuyasha. Granted some things have changed, but the more that things change, the more that they seem to stay exactly the same._ She yanks on her French braid in thought.

As the bright sun shines down on her, she wistfully smiles_. Even worse, I am still not done collecting the Shikon no Kakera after three long years of work. Although we feel and hope that the final fight with Naraku is drawing ever closer, I am not ready for this journey to end._ _After the final battle, I will leave this time and will probably never be able to come back. I will be forced to say goodbye to everyone, even Inuyasha. At least we can all be together for now._

She stands up, picks up her heavy bag. Instead of finding herself in Kaede's village, she begins to wander aimlessly. She soon finds herself standing next to the Goshinboku for no particular reason. As she looks up at the huge branches, she thinks about how huge the tree seems even compared to the one in her own time. _The Goshinboku has always protected me and watched over me. It is here that I met Inuyasha; it is here that he was imprisoned_. She lightly reaches out her hand and lays it on the tree, below the mark of where Inuyasha had once been sealed. The tree feels warm to her hand, but she remembers that she always feels that warmth when she touches the tree, even in the coldest part of winter. With tenderness, she smiles to herself. _This tree has always been a source of comfort for me. I could almost call you Goshinboku-jii-chan…_

Suddenly, she feels a bit of energy come off the tree to warm her hand. Quickly, she pulls her hand away and stares at the tree with a look of complete disbelief and confusion on her face. Gentle tendrils of thought begin to enter her mind, yet she finds herself strangely unafraid. _Oh my gosh, if this is real, that means that the Goshinboku is talking to me. Trees do not talk, Kagome, right? Well maybe they can or maybe I am hallucinating…_

The tree projects, "Of course I can talk, so please listen. I admit that it is wonderful to converse with someone again. Few people know how to talk like this. I guess you can call it a form of telepathy. Oh well, dear Kagome, I have been watching you all of your life as you have grown up. You will scoff at me when I tell you this: you have a great task ahead of you."

As predicted, she scoffs at his pronouncement. "I travel though time to protect the Shikon no Tama, but I knew that before. "

"Well yes, that is true, but it is only the beginning. You have an old soul, Kagome. Your soul exemplifies the human condition; that is why you have such strong miko powers and that is also one of the reasons that you have the ability to purify the Shikon no Tama. Not only must you protect the jewel in the Sengoku Jidai, but you must also protect it throughout time. Only certain people can travel through time."

Her eyes are completely wide open as she stares at the tree in disbelief. "It is my duty to protect the jewel by traveling through time. How can that be true when I must use a Shikon no Kakera to travel through time?"

"Some people might be able to use a Shikon no Kakera to travel through time if they train hard, but you, Kagome, you do not need a Shikon no Kakera to travel through time if you learn how to harness your powers. We are lucky that your training began with Kaede a couple of years ago. How do you know for sure that you cannot travel through time without a shard; you haven't tried that since you were 15, have you?" She agrees that she has not and allows the tree to continue.

Gently, but urgently, the tree continues. "You may know that I am a time tree, but that is why I need your help. The timeline has been, is being and will be disrupted. Your time and this time are being targeted the most but naturally it will affect the other time periods. You see, the youkai have found another time tree and are building portals so that they can wreak havoc on time and on the evolution of humanity. To be more accurate, they wish to destroy humanity. In order to accomplish this objective, the youkai will try and come after you in order to create another Shikon no Tama and thwart any of your efforts to stop them. They already know of your powers and capabilities, even if you do not. You can stop them and set the time line straight, with the help of your friends. That is why I need your help."

Shock and anxiety cover her face as she begins to shiver slightly. Shaking her head and sighing, she manages to speak. "So why me? Why am I the one?"

The tree hesitates for a moment before answering. Lowering the volume in her head, he gently explains, "This task was prepared for you before you were born, Kagome. Obviously, it will not be an easy task." His tone becomes warmer and more gently proud. "You may or may not believe me, but this is why you were pulled back into this time in the first place. What happened with the centipede demon was no fluke. I wanted to explain all of this sooner, but I could not tell you until you turned 18. You were not ready to bear this burden, nor did you have enough related training."

Kagome's shock turns to cold fear and she turns away from the tree and places her bag on the ground and sits beside it. "Kaede-baa-chan has been training me, but I've never done anything close to what you are describing. I think that you have the wrong person. Please choose someone more talented and more worthy than I to complete this task. I can't do this. I just can't."

To reassure her, he remarks, "You do have the power and you can succeed, only you doubt yourself. Fear is the opposite of faith, Kagome. Don't allow fear to keep you from your appointed path and mission." The warmth in his tone calms the edge of her fears, but nevertheless, the enormity of the task daunts her. Kagome turns to face the tree and shakes her head in doubt. The tree continues to encourage her, "Don't worry; you will not be alone and you will receive special training. You must go and find those who have special souls like you or those whose souls were for some reason changed. Those are the ones who will be able to travel through time with you. For example, your friend, Inuyasha was bound to me, but not by mistake. Kikyo only meant to seal him forever; that was her reasoning. Still, those actions allow him to travel through the well. The combination of her binding spell and my magic changed him; the power seeped into his soul over that 50 year period."

Meanwhile, Kagome's friends have been wondering where she is, so they come looking for her. Inuyasha quickly picks up her scent and leads them to Goshinboku. When he arrives with the others on his heels, Inuyasha walks behind to her as she stares silently at the tree with her bag sitting on the ground beside her. Since Kagome appears to be acting strangely, Inuyasha and the others try to break her out of the trance. At that moment, the Goshinboku begins to speak directly into their minds, just as he is doing with the young miko. Although they are all frozen by their varying degrees of disbelief, they listen to the explanation that Kagome just received.

A few moments after hearing the brief explanation of their task, Miroku scratches his chin and asks, "Goshinboku-sama, what about Naraku? Why are you telling us this now when we seem so close to destroying him for good?"

The tree sighs. "Naraku is partially behind this whole plot. Besides, he has already had a bit of success. You still do not know where he is hiding; he disappeared and you cannot find him. I felt the disturbance in the time-space continuum and knew that he had traveled to a different time. It was not the time to tell you, but please forgive me for my silence. Now Naraku is able to come back with the shards that he finds in other times. Unfortunately, he's clever and has made some temporal allies. Unfortunately, he has spread beyond this time and your own, Kagome. That is why Kagome and Inuyasha must travel through time and find more allies."

Kagome thinks about this proposal for a moment but then objects. "But wouldn't we mess up the timeline and cause unwanted negative effects to the future? I have heard that we could endanger our own existence by changing the past."

The tree gently answers. "The timeline has already been disturbed. You will be protecting it along with your own lives."

Shippo softly asks, "Can I travel through time with them?"

"I don't think that you can, at least not as you are. If something changed then you might be able to. That also applies to you two, Miroku and Sango. Shippo, take heart- you will be able to help me in the future, because you are youkai and will live a long time. In the future you can continue to help us- you, Kirara and Sesshoumaru."

Everyone balks at the mention of Inuyasha's older half-brother. "Keh, tree, Sesshoumaru won't help you," Inuyasha informs the Goshinboku.

"Maybe not, but he will have good reasons to help us. He will not want the other youkai getting enough power to kill him or take over his Western Lands. I have already called out for him, so if he remembers any of his training, he will be here soon."

As if he had been called at that moment, Sesshoumaru regally walks up to the group. He ignores everyone but the tree. With a completely straight face, he begins to communicate with the tree. "Goshinboku, why did you call me here? What business do you have with me, the Great Lord of the Western Lands?"

"Sesshoumaru, I am flattered that you still remember me and listen to me. I remember when you were a little pup playing my branches." Sesshoumaru gives the tree a death stare. "I won't talk about that. Did you hear what I told you when I called you?"

"I did; that is why I bothered to come at all. What do you wish of me?"

"I wish for you to help me and join the little, motley crew that will put everything back as it should be. I'm sure that I don't need to remind you how horrible it will be if these youkai manage to obtain a great deal of power. I don't need to mention that they might be able to destroy you and/or take your lands."

Sesshoumaru nods. "No, you need not remind me. I will help you, just as long as you remember that I am not doing it for you." He glances at Inuyasha with disgust. "Is the hanyou involved?"

"Yes, he is one of the most important members of the team since he is one of the only ones who can travel through time."

"Fine." With an unreadable look on his face, Sesshoumaru elegantly turns to the hanyou. "Inuyasha, I promise not to try and kill you during this crisis. I suspect that you still possess enough manners to reciprocate. Evidently, both of us are required. This is not the best of all possible choices but it appears to have become unfortunately necessary."

The tree sighs. "Your father would not want you two to fight at all. Inutaisho-sama is not going to be pleased when Inuyasha tells him that you have been trying to kill him. Regardless, thank you Sesshoumaru for standing with us; your strength will be a great asset. You will all soon see how necessary each of you is to this fight."

Inuyasha sputters and stares. "Hold on, dammit- What about my father?"

"Oh, Inutaisho-sama has a special soul as well. He exemplifies the original youkai condition. Inuyasha, you and Kagome will go back in time and receive help from Inutaisho-sama. That should probably be your first trip. He can give you a good bit of background for what you need to know. He saw some of the future in a vision; that was one of the other reasons for the creation of Tessaiga and Tenseiga." Everyone begins to voice their many questions, but the tree refuses to answer. "No, that is enough for you to know for now."

(break)

Yep, that's all for now. Please review and tell me what you think. Alright, you can check out my other strange fic if you want- that'd be greatly appreciated!


	2. Upon Reflection

Pt 2: Upon Reflection

After the Goshinboku hushes everyone and refuses to reveal anything more, the humans, hanyou and youkai simply stare at the now-silent tree as if they expect it to speak more, which is exactly what they believe might happen. Still, just as quickly as the tree made contact, the tree again seems as silent as it has always seemed. The only clue that anything strange happened is the still, but not stagnant feeling that lingers in the air. The entire group can feel the remnants of the crackling energy in the air currents.

A nerve begins to pop in Inuyasha's head as he makes a fist and holds it up to the tree. "Yeah go ahead and be mysterious! You couldn't even tell us what to do right now. All you did was freak us out. You better not be playing with us, you damned overgrown weed! I think that you're lying and that this is all one of Naraku's plots!" The rest of those gathered look at the spazzing hanyou and sigh, except Sesshoumaru, who remains unaffected.

Just before Inuyasha looks as if he wishes to start bashing the Goshinboku, Kagome calls out to him. "Come on, Inuyasha; let's go tell Kaede-baa-chan about this whole thing. Standing here and staring at the tree will get us absolutely nowhere. Insulting Goshinboku-jii-chan won't help either." Inuyasha ignores her rationalizations and continues to throw murderous looks at the Goshinboku. Shaking her head with frustration, she tries again. "Inuyasha, please do not make me say it." He still does not respond. She screams at the top of her lungs in hopes of getting his attention. "Darn you, you stupid pain in the neck; why don't you ever listen to me? Catch at least this: come now or I will say _it_ a bunch of times!" Finally, he looks back at her and walks away with a darkened look on his face. The group begins to walk back to Kaede's village.

Suddenly, Miroku remembers Sesshoumaru is still there. He gestures to his friends to pause for a moment. "Sesshoumaru-sama, would you like to come with us or must you go back to your castle? We are all on the same team now and we know that you possess larger amounts of knowledge about this situation than we do. We are in need of your help, in the name of working together to the same end for different purposes."

"Stupid human, of course I possess more information than you do. I will keep my word. I told Goshinboku that I would help you in order to protect my lands and I will. I must return to my abode, but I will return." He nods to the rest of the group before disappearing into the woods so fast that they could not tell exactly which path that he took.

Kagome looks after him. "He has great honor and pride. Still," she says as she looks at Inuyasha, "I never thought that Sesshoumaru would ever work with us. This should prove to be interesting. Both of Inutaisho-sama's sons will work together for mutual advantage? It's almost like the Twilight Zone or something, you know?"

Shippo gives her an uncertain look. "Um, yeah, but Kagome, what's the Twilight Zone?" She sweatdrops and shake her hand. Under her breath, she mutters to him to forget that she said anything about it. Without another word, the group returns to Kaede's house.

(break)

Kaede sits beside her fire while gently sipping a cup of tea. As the vapors fill her nose, she waits to feel the peace that she usually feels when she does this. Instead of te usual peace, a tiny of bit of anxiety fills her heart. Just as she begins to feel a little strange, Inuyasha and gang burst into the room. Kagome greets Kaede and fills her in on what happened. Kaede's eyes widen in surprise, but she nods in slight understanding.

After hearing the entire explanation, Kaede sits back on her heels and sighs. Inuyasha, who already feels a little unsettled by the news, begins to fidget and act generally obnoxious. Everyone narrows their eyes at him, but his dense mind does not realize it. He calls out to Kaede, "Kaede-babaa, so can you help us or give us some damned information or something? Sheesh, we need to do something."

Unperturbed by the annoyed hanyou, Kaede sips a little more of her tea. "So, the youkai are playing with the concept of time travel and are trying to create more Shikon no Tama's."

Inuyasha yells at her. "Not just any youkai; it's that bastard Naraku! He thought that he was so smart to hide in other time periods- ha! We'll show him and I'll finally defeat him once and for all!"

An almost-playful smile upon her lips, the old miko gazes at Inuyasha. "Are ye afraid of meeting Inutaisho-sama? Ye have never met."

"Wha… what? Me? Afraid? Hell no! But I don't remember him… not at all. My mother told me a few stories and she said that he got to see me a few times when I was a pup; she loved him very much." His face softens somewhat, but his eyes look clouded. Kagome puts her hand on his shoulder and leaves it there as she smiles at him in order to encourage him to speak. Surprised, he looks into her eyes, smiles and has nothing more to say. After a moment, he lightly pulls his hand away and rests his hand on his knee.

Kagome looks into the fire for a moment before speaking her mind. "He said that this was my original task, but how could that be? Was Naraku attempting this before I came back in time? Is that why I was needed?"

"Those who have been called have talents that are needed."

The young woman puts her head to the left side and considers this, but continues thinking. "This time and mine are the ones that are in the most immediate danger. Our two times are connected particularly strongly, just because of me. Is this whole thing my fault? Am I endangering the future? Am I endangering all my family and friends from both times?"

Kaede gives her a sympathetic look and shakes her head. "No, Kagome-chan. Tis not your fault. Methinks that time itself was already altered; Goshinboku-dono also confirmed this. Ye are not the cause; ye are a result that will make all as it was. Ye will not be alone. We are all with ye at least in spirit, no matter what time ye go to."

Inuyasha turns and looks deeply into Kagome's eyes. "Kagome, I'll be there right beside you, to give you strength and to protect you. We can do this together. We all have faith in you and your abilities."

Sango smiles. "Don't doubt yourself, Kagome-chan. We will be proud to help you. We are just as surprised to hear about this as you are, but together we can win."

Open-mouthed, she glances around at the encouraging faces of her friends. Then, she firmly nods. "You are right. Yes, we are still a team and you guys are still there for me when I need you… and I am going to need your help more than ever." She sighs and pulls on her braid. "I still don't understand why it must be me. More than that, I have no idea what it meant when Goshinboku-jii-chan said that I exemplify the original human condition. Kaede-baa-chan, do you know what he means?"

The older woman shakes her head slightly. "No, the meaning is illusive to me. I suspect two things: that it has something to do with you and the Shikon no Tama. It may also reflect the purity of your soul. Goshinboku-dono said that ye had an old soul, did he not?" Kagome nods. "Well that could explain your power… and maybe Kikyo's powers in turn. Ye are not ordinary miko; ye are special."

Kagome shrugs. "Special I may be, but what about Inutaisho? He exemplified the original youkai condition? What on Earth is that supposed to mean?"

Sesshoumaru walks in quickly without greeting any of them. "Original youkai condition… Inutaisho explained something about that to me once when I was very young, but I do not remember it very well. I suspect that you must ask him what the "original condition" refers to when you see him."

Kagome welcomes him. "Oh Sesshoumaru, welcome back. I'm sorry that we didn't see you coming." He shrugs and leans gracefully against the doorframe.

Miroku also stands to welcome Inuyasha's half-brother. "Welcome Sesshoumaru-sama. I trust that your trip was pleasant." The youkai blinks before barely nodding his head to acknowledge the monk. Miroku thinks for a moment and looks at Sesshoumaru. "Sesshoumaru-sama, what did you mean when you told Kagome-sama that she could ask Inutaisho-sama when she saw him?"

"I thought it was obvious. That's where they must first go before starting the journey. He can explain to them what steps should be taken next in this conflict."

Inuyasha looks at his brother with a petulant gleam in his eyes. "So don't you know…"

Sango quickly interrupts Inuyasha before he angers the taiyoukai about lacking knowledge. "That makes sense." She laughs lightly and shakes her head in disbelief as she says her next words. "Kagome and Inuyasha are going to see Inutaisho." She turns to Kagome. "When will you leave, Kagome-chan?"

Kagome shakes her head at how strange the conversation sounds to her. She shrugs. "Tomorrow I guess." She looks at Sesshoumaru and he doesn't argue. "Tomorrow it is, unless Goshinboku-jii-chan has objections. Besides, it would see that time is of the essence." Everyone sweatdrops at the bad pun, except for Sesshoumaru. "Sorry guys. I didn't mean for it to sound that way."

At that moment, Rin chases Jaken into the house. In response, Sesshoumaru watches for a moment and rolls his eyes. "Rin, stop."

In the past three years, Rin has grown a few inches, but her biggest growth spurt is just around the corner. Her grammar still needs attention, but there has been no one to properly instruct her. In her eleventh year, she radiates energy, optimism and devotion. A gentle and inquisitive child at heart, Rin is beginning to grow up. Rin runs to Sesshoumaru and pulls on his outfit as she agrees with a salute. "Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama." Her big brown eyes look around and she smiles with glee. "Sesshoumaru-sama, you've given Rin some people to play with! Thank you!" She runs around and begins playing with Sango's hair. Soon afterward, she switches to playing with Shippo.

The two youngsters, completely uncaring of the fact that one is a youkai and the other is a human, frolic and enjoy themselves. The adults go outside and watch the kids play, but do not speak. Each is lost within the labyrinth of his or her thoughts. Suddenly, Kagome yawns and disturbs the somewhat comfortable silence. Everyone turns to stare at her and she blushes cherry red.

Sesshoumaru glances at her and unemotionally comments. "Miko, you should get some rest. Tomorrow will be a long day and your energy reserves will be tested. I suggest that you go to bed. Inuyasha should too, but he won't listen to reason."

Inuyasha mutters a keh in response. "I just don't want to listen to you."

No one had paid attention to Inuyasha's retort, but almost everyone's eyes widen in surprise that Sesshoumaru would sound almost as if he cares. Kagome lightly smiles. "Thank you for being considerate, Sesshoumaru."

He understands the meaning underneath her comment and answers, "You misunderstand. You will perform better if you rest, human and your performance partially determines whether we win or lose." He turns to the tiring children, calls them near and orders them off to bed, an order that they both follow almost without complaint.

Quietly, Kagome nods and gets ready for bed. When she's ready, she lays down in her sleeping bag. Sango lays down next to her. Miroku bids her good night as he walks out the door. Shippo leaps in to give her a hug before he goes to sleep and is closely followed by Rin. Inuyasha sits down beside Kagome and pats her feet. He smiles at her and brushes his fingers over her face before heading off to his tree.

(break)

What will happen when Kagome and Inuyasha travel through time? Will they reach their desired destination? What will Inutaisho think about Kagome and does he know that they are coming? Will he explain the significance of the Four Souls and the Original Conditions? How is a Shikon no Tama made? What other time periods must they go to?

If you want to hear more, please review. Please, please, please tell me what you think. Flames accepted, tho logical and constructive flaming preferred.


	3. Just Another Time Slip

Important note- When I wrote this, I had not seen the third movie, so Inuyasha's mom's name isn't Izayoi and Inutaisho isn't showing his most serious and protective side, but he will later on. Also, my description of Inutaisho is different than the movie's.

Pt 3: Just Another Time Slip

I am so glad that I got some input! IceRayven, physicschik, Nateckwillow and Xue- I love you guys forever- as long as someone thinks that this is worth reading than I really have no problem writing it! IceRayven, I have also taken your advice and changed the name… again sweatdrops but I think you're right. Condition of the Souls this story shall be from now on.

(break)

Kagome wakes up early, puts on a swimsuit and runs to take a bath. She had trouble sleeping but since she went to bed early, she feels rested and as ready as she's going to be. She knows that inuyoukai hate the smell of humans so she sprays some Febreze (don't own that either) on her jeans, her shirt and the sweater that she's bringing with her.

As she begins swimming around, Inuyasha comes searching for her. His eyesight is very good and so he blushes bright red out of embarrassment when he sees her state of undress. Quickly, he turns around just as she notices his presence. She realizes that he turned around and so she forcibly stops herself mid-osuwari. In that moment, Inuyasha was beginning to cringe and prepare himself for the experience. She manages to hold her tongue. A few seconds afterwards, Inuyasha opens his eyes and realizes that she hadn't used her power. He almost turns back around but she warns him of the consequences. Lucky for him, he manages to avoid getting "osuwari"ed and walks away.

Now believing that she has complete privacy, Kagome dips down under the water and swims a few lengths to allow her mind to clear. She marvels that the water is so clear here in the Sengoku Jidai and wishes the spring was this nice in her own time. Inwardly she sighs about the negative effects of pollution caused by human innovations. She surfaces and sighs aloud in exasperation.

As she continues to think, she begins to float in the lake. _It is amazing that no one really believes in youkai anymore, but they obviously exist. Still, people tend to see what they wish to see; there may be youkai yet, but are unknown because people do not believe and so therefore do not see them. But if that were true, wouldn't I have felt their presences? _She remembers what Goshinboku said about Sesshoumaru and the other youkai helping her in the future and realizes that youkai must exist, somehow. She shrugs and decides to wait and see how that's possible. Before the thought completely leaves her mind, a wry smile graces her face as she speculates whether Shippo and Kirara have mates and families.

A cough and rustle in the bushes disturbs her bath. At first, she believes it be Inuyasha and gets annoyed … then she realizes that she can still see Inuyasha with his back to her in the distance. Inuyasha could not have made the sound, because the noise emanated from the other side of the lake. She sweatdrops. _This better not be what… or rather whom I think that it may be_. She grabs her towel and heads towards the bushes. From out of nowhere, she notices Hiraikotsu flying through the air. As the weapon nears the area, Miroku jumps up and dodges. A nerve in Kagome's head begins to pop. Sango then joins her friend. The taijiya looks at him as she shakes her head for a moment. His eyebrows go up but the young women don't attack… immediately. A split-second after he begins to relax, they both pounce on him. His eyes go swirly as they incessantly beat him. Kagome grabs a branch and whacks the lecherous religious pseudo-professional and Sango of course prefers the fists-on experience.

Shippo walks up to his friends and does not mention that they are currently attacking Miroku, instead the kitsune ignores their actions. "Kagome, Sango, Goshinboku-sama is waiting for us. The others sent me to fetch you."

Kagome stops beating up on Miroku to look up and smile. "Fetch us indeed… as if we were sticks that you could bring back in your mouth. Besides, you're a fox, not a dog!"

He slams his fist down in the palm of his hand. "Yes, I know, but it doesn't matter... just as long as the teasing isn't from Inuyasha." He sighs and then brightens. "But you know what? I wanted to come see where you were anyway." Sango finally stops and leaves the monk pathetically twitching on the ground. The women both nod to the kitsune and follow him back to the tree.

Inuyasha finally turns around and leaps over to help the poor, perverted guy. Giving him a look, "Miroku, why did you do that? You can't tell me that it was worth all that trouble!"

The monk shakes his head. "Of course it was. Besides, shouldn't you be the one to know that better than rest of us? She's your girl after all!"

"Uh, well." The dog demon sputters. "That's not true and you know it, bouzu!"

Miroku raises his eyebrow. "You're still in denial, my friend. I hope that you'll appreciate her more in the future, or in the past."

"There is no time that is good to appreciate girls the way you do, Miroku."

"Kagome-sama is not a girl any longer, Inuyasha. Haven't you noticed that she's become a woman, and a quite attractive one at that?"

Inuyasha doesn't want to answer Miroku's question. "Keh, so how could you so much as look at another girl when you have Sango?"

Miroku grins evilly. "Sango isn't not mine… yet. Why should I deprive myself of an opportunity like this?"

Shaking his head, Inuyasha turns in the direction of Kaede's village. "Keh, you're impossible, bouzu. Let's go."

(break)

When Miroku and Inuyasha stroll into the vicinity of Goshinboku, they look around. Sango and Kagome, who have just noticed their arrival, throw dirty glances in Miroku's direction. In return, the monk gives them an I-am-so-abused-but-it-was-so-worth-it look on his face. Before anything could happen, Rin and Shippo run between the four friends as they chase a very tired-looking Jaken. Shippo gets close enough to the toad youkai and whacks him on the head with a branch that he found somewhere. Jaken shouts out protests, but his words are drowned out by Shippo and Rin's laughter.

Meanwhile, Kaede is sitting next to the tree and Sesshoumaru is standing nearby with his usual blank expression. Kaede smiles at Kagome and calls her over. "Kagome-chan, did ye enjoy your bath?" The young woman nods. "Are ye worried about the coming trip?"

"Hai. I am worried."

The older miko nods. "Hai, tis true. Ye would be a fool to say otherwise. Ye are prepared then. Take my blessings and good luck."

Kagome bows to her teacher. "Thank you very much, Kaede-baa-chan."

Miroku walks up to her and puts his left hand on her shoulder. "May Buddha watch over you, Kagome-sama." A vein on her forehead begins to pop as she feels a familiar hand move down south of the border.

"Hentai!" She and Sango scream in unison as they repeat the bashing that they gave him earlier.

When they're finished, Sango turns to Kagome and warmly hugs her. "Stay safe, Kagome-chan. Come back soon- we'll all miss you."

"Continue to keep Miroku in line, please?"

Sango laughs. "But of course."

Miroku twitches on the ground and Inuyasha walks over to him. "So, bouzu, why'd you do it?"

"Could be my last chance," he whispers. "You should give it a try; you never know what'll happen." Inuyasha growls and beats Miroku on the head before walking away.

The usual energy fills the air and everyone can again feel the gentle mentally nudging of the nearby plant. "Hello, everyone. Welcome back. I hope that you have rested and prepared yourselves. Kagome, how are you feeling? Did you sleep alright?"

She smiles. "I slept well enough, Goshinboku-jii-chan. I feel a little nervous, but I have faith."

"Good for you, Kagome You can do this; have no fear. I will be with you as will Inuyasha. Speaking of the hanyou of the hour, are you ready to help her, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha steps forward. "Yeah, yeah, I'm ready to go protect her."

"But aren't you excited about seeing your father?" Inuyasha gives the tree a look that is not unlike one of Sesshoumaru's. The tree sighs, but continues. "Alright, as you wish, Inuyasha. Are we all ready then?" Inuyasha and Kagome nod. "Please, Kagome and Inuyasha, grab your things." She gets her bulging yellow backpack. She put some food and clothing in the bag- just in case of an emergency. With renewed courage, she begins to head for the well, but she's stopped. "Kagome, actually, you won't use the well. Come up here next to me."

She blushes scarlet, turns and faces the tree. "Oh, ok, sorry."

"Well it was a natural thought, my dear. That well may have been made from my branches but you will need my help at least this time." She nods as Inuyasha drags his body to stand next to me.

Kagome hears someone calling her name. She turns around to see Shippo and Rin running at breakneck speed to try and catch her. "Kagome, don't leave without saying goodbye to us!"

Rin reaches the older girl first and hugs her right side. "Please be careful, Kagome-nee-chan. Rin wants to play with you some more."

Kagome notices Rin's grammar has not improved that much over the past couple years. "Of course and Rin, when I get back, there are some things that I want to teach you. I think it might please Sesshoumaru, too."

"Really?"

"Yep. Just you wait and be good. Watch over Shippo for me; keep him company."

"Hai!"

Shippo leaps into Kagome's arms for a hug. "Come back soon, Kagome."

"I will, Shippo." She places him in Sango's arms and walks back next to Inuyasha. "Ok, now what do we do?"

"You will come and touch me while holding onto Inuyasha's hand for starters."

They balk and blush as they look at each other. "What!"

The tree rationally explains. "Yes, Kagome must hold your hand, Inuyasha; otherwise you will not have enough power to travel through time.

"Tree, I thought that I had some power from when I was sealed to you!"

"Well yes, but you were only there for 50 years and Kikyo sealed you; we need her energy. Kagome's miko powers will bring out your potential and therefore allow you to travel through time. When you travel through the well on your own, you may not know it but you focus on the glimmer of her presence through the well and that is enough to allow you to travel to her time.. Also, the well works slightly differently. It is a limited mode of time transport, unlike the more pure form that you will be using with Kagome from now on. This is also one of the advantages that we have over the youkai. They cannot use this superior method." They all stare but nod at the tree. "Anyway, enough explanations… please touch me and hold each other's hands. Both of you will concentrate on the time period; I will put pictures of it into your minds and teach you how to invoke the spell, Kagome. Eventually, you might be able to travel just by touching any wood from a time tree and invoking the spell on your own, but for now, please allow me to help you. Do you have any objections to that?"

"Oh no definitely I don't. I don't know if I will ever feel that confident with a power that dangerous."

"Don't worry, Kagome. You'll be fine. Are you ready?" She takes a deep breath and turns around to glean some support from all my friends behind me. Everyone waves at her, except Sesshoumaru who nods. A sigh caught in her throat, she looks back to the tree and holds out her hand to Inuyasha with a nervous smile. He smiles at her and confidently grabs her hand. With their free hands, they reach out to touch Goshinboku.

They close their eyes and see the pictures projected into their minds by the tree and do their best to focus on them and reach out into time with their minds. In her heart, Kagome can hear Goshinboku chanting, but she doesn't understand any of the words. But through her eyelids, lights are flashing and yet there is no wind. She cannot quite feel the tree under her fingertips but she knows they are there. She squeezes Inuyasha's hand and he squeezes back to comfort her.

But then she opens her eyes and they are there- they are somewhen. Everything around them looks exactlythe same except that all their friends are gone. Still, they feel sure that they are somewhen else.

Hesitantly, Kagome asks the tree. "Goshinboku-jii-chan, are we in the correct time period?

"Yes, my child, you made it. I am so proud of you. Congratulations!"

"I don't know why you are so proud when I didn't do anything. I didn't even understand a word of what you said."

"You did more than you know and as for the language, we'll deal with that soon enough. I am still extremely proud of you for accomplishing this great task!"

She blushes, but Inuyasha ill temperedly yells, "Hey, what about me?"

"Oh sorry- you did well too, Inuyasha." Inuyasha has a look on his face that says that was a little anti-climatic.

Kagome asks, "Goshinboku-jii-chan, how can we find Inutaisho? Is he in his castle?"

"Well normally, he is in his castle when he is not patrolling around his lands. Besides he needs to be there now for his wife..."

Inuyasha gets the basic idea and is ready to take off. "Alright let's go! Which direction is it, tree?" Goshinboku answers by shocking him and after receiving a few energetic currents, the hanyou drops to the ground.

The tree sighs and chastises him. "No, you can't just run off, not even you should try to find him like that. He will not understand who you are unless I tell him. You must admit that it sounds more than slightly odd. He'll need to take my word for it. Besides, he is coming here today to train his son and introduce him to me."

Kagome raises an eyebrow in surprise. "What? He is bringing his son? You mean Sesshoumaru?"

"Yes of course, he's a good son from what I have heard from various sources and Inutaisho himself, naturally. I feel badly about what happened to his poor mother, though. That was quite unfortunate."

Inuyasha twitches on the ground but still gets out a keh. Kagome ignores him and continues. "What about Sesshoumaru's mother, if I may ask? It seems hard to imagine Sesshoumaru caring about anything except his land."

Inuyasha manages to get up. "Yeah, what's up with Sesshoumaru? What does he have wedged up his ass?"

"Well, you couldn't know. It all started before you were born and only got worse after your birth and after Inutaisho's death. Just watch his reaction to you when you meet him… Of course, he will not remember that he met you after you are born. I will tell Inutaisho to put a spell on him that makes sure of that. Until then, it can help impress on the young lord youkai how important the past is and how he can use nature to his advantage."

"Keh, why didn't you ever teach me? Didn't you want to teach me too? I'm his son just like Sesshoumaru." He pouts.

"I would have and wanted to teach you, naturally, but I couldn't because your mother didn't know about me, Inuyasha. Your father died before you were old enough to understand any of this and so he never had a chance to bring you to me, although I know that he wanted to so badly. He treasured you and Sesshoumaru so much. It would sadden him if he saw you two fighting as you do back in your time. If I were you, I wouldn't mention this for a bit." The tree senses the inuyoukai. "Ok, please allow me to do the talking first."

Inuyasha grumbles, "You talk too much, tree."

Goshinboku sighs. "Keep your jaws shut, Inuyasha. Please remember that this is your father."

Inutaisho and Sesshoumaru enter the clearing. Sesshoumaru's tail does not show and he is much shorter than they had expected him to be. Instead of his trademark deadpan expression, his face is alight with pure curiosity and joy. He looks up at his father with faithful and unconditional admiration. Inuyasha and Kagome try not to stare at this apparition too much, but instead try to keep a straight face.

Kagome looks at Inutaisho, who is taller than Sesshoumaru when he is grown up. He has a blue circle on his forehead and three red stripes on his cheeks. Like both of his sons, his hair is of course long and white. His face is shaped mostly like Sesshoumaru's but slightly wider at the temple. His golden eyes hold a gentle, loving, protective look. As he glances in Kagome and Inuyasha's direction, he smiles halfway.

Hoping that to get Inutaisho's approval, Kagome smoothes out her dress and runs her fingers through her hair. Inuyasha gives her a questioning glance, but she ignores him completely. Inutaisho and Sesshoumaru stiffen slightly as they walk towards the newcomers. Suddenly, Sesshoumaru hides a bit behind his father. Inuyasha turns to the side and tries to stifle a chuckle, but Kagome gives him a look that says finish that chuckle and you'll be sat. He wipes the smirk from his face as much as possible. Kagome understands why Inuyasha thinks Sesshoumaru's reflex was humorous, considering the strength of the Sesshoumaru that they know.

Inutaisho greets the tree with a bow and Sesshoumaru gives his father a look but follows suit. "Greetings, Goshinboku-san."

"Greetings to you, Inutaisho-sama. Before you ask me about these unknown intruders, let me explain who they are. They are friends of mine, so please relax, both of you." Inutaisho looks over us with a nod, but Goshinboku asks, "Inutaisho-sama, would you please do me a little favor? Could you smell this white-haired youth right here for me and tell me what you smell?"

Inutaisho sniffs the air for a moment before he stares. His eyes widening farther and farther, he moves closer to Inuyasha. As for Inuyasha, Kagome can see his eyes open further and glisten the late-afternoon light. At that moment, Kagome particularly remembers that Inuyasha has never seen his dad before.

With a quick movement, Inutaisho covers the small distance between himself and Inuyasha and gives his son a hug and does not want to let go. Inuyasha, not being used to physical affection, stiffens for a moment before losing himself in the hug.

Sesshoumaru looks wonderingly at them. Kagome waves to him and tries not to laugh a bit herself, since Sesshoumaru, the Lord of the Western Lands, who tried to kill her in his father's grave, is shyly waving back at her like a polite, hesitant little boy.

Inutaisho pulls back and brushes away a little tear. "You are my son with Mika, the son that has not been born yet. But how…"

The tree explains. "Um, if you will allow me to explain a little bit. They are time travelers from the future on a mission to protect time. This is connected with the condition of souls and the Shikon no Tama. As such, they need your expertise."

Inutaisho nods, but still looks a little confused. "My son, why can you travel through time?"

The tree hushes Inuyasha. "Inutaisho-sama, he is able to travel through time because he was sealed to me for 50 years. The other factor was that he was sealed there by a very powerful miko, the previous reincarnation of the soul of this young woman here."

Inutaisho nods, turns back to Sesshoumaru and gestures to his eldest son to come nearer. "My son, this is Sesshoumaru, your older brother." The proud father puts a hand on each of their shoulders. "Sess-kun, this is your unborn younger brother… what exactly is your name, son?"

He straightens his shoulders. "I'm Inuyasha."

Sesshoumaru looks over the hanyou and asks, "You mean the pup that my step-mother is pregnant with?" Inutaisho nods. "How is he here now?"

Inutaisho smiles. "I will be happy to explain in more detail later, Sess-kun." He turns to Kagome, who blushes and has no idea what to say.

She smiles nervously and then bows. "Greetings, Inutaisho-sama. I am Higurashi Kagome from 21st century Tokyo."

Inuyasha asks, "Hey, Kagome, why are you being so formal and all? It's just my dad." He puts his arms behind his head.

"Shut up, Inuyasha- yes exactly it is your father." She shoots him an annoyed look. "He is the Lord of the Western Lands!"

"Yeah so is Sesshoumaru but that doesn't…" The young youkai's and older inuyoukai's ears pick up and Kagome gives Inuyasha a death glare.

Inutaisho decides to ignore this strange behavior. "Welcome, Higurashi-san."

"Uh, please call me Kagome as everyone else does, Inutaisho-sama. That goes for Sesshoumaru-sama too." She winks at him and he smiles.

"You are a companion of Inuyasha?"

"Basically."

The lord steps in closer with a smirk on his face. "Nothing more?" She blushes and Inuyasha jumps out of his skin.

The hanyou stammers, "Hey, where'd you get a crazy idea like that?"

"Hmm, interesting reaction. I'll talk with you about this more later, Kagome-san." He throws an unyoukai-like wink at me with a surprisingly bright smile. Kagome, having no idea how to respond, simply smiles back at him. Unlike Inuyasha, Inutaisho can fly and so he transforms into his demon form and carries everyone to his castle.

(break)

A/N- Yes, Sesshoumaru uses a preposition at the end of a sentence, but he's a kid. He shouldn't have perfect grammar yet, even if he is a future taiyoukai.

That's all for this part minna! Please read and tell me what you think via e-mail or reviews, if you want. I'm not living for them, but they are still appreciated. It may be a little while until I put up the next chapter. I don't this one all mapped out like I do my other one so we shall see. Later, everyone. You can check out my other fics while you wait if you want- whatever. Have a great day!


	4. Visiting the Western Castle

Hey- I'm back everyone. I am so sorry that it took me so long to update but I got bronchitis and then I caught the Norwalk virus from my parents. Uh I have been majorly sick for a week and a half now but I am finally feeling better- hopefully I won't contract something else. Anyway, here is a little update- not as much as I wanted but I really wanted to put something up, you know what I mean. Ok, don't get me wrong- it's not that bad.

I wish I had time to do fuller thank you's but I am still sick and so I just want to mention the names of all my wonderful reviewers. I love all the readers too but the reviewers- y'all(oh forgive me please my Southern upbringing and the love of the word y'all which I prefer to you guys) I hold particularly dear. So thanks to: inulover, ChibiJenn, IceRayven, Angelstars and caj-trixie- you all rock my world! I'll do my best, so I hope you'll all keep reading and enjoying the fic!

Pt 4- Visiting the Western Castle

After a short flight, the small group arrives at Inutaisho's castle. Granted, Kagome has some ideas of what it might look like, but her assumptions were not entirely correct. Her first reaction when she hears the word castle is a structure that mimicked the many-towered Disney fairy tale castles or a grand and imposing fortress, but she finds that it appears to be more like a large and elegant estate. _I would have imagined that any place this grand would seem cold and not just a little bit overdone_. _Instead of being ostentatious, the clean lines of the architecture make the place seem even more beautiful and welcoming. Still, I would not imagine that such a powerful family would desire a home that seemed welcoming. This place might be difficult to defend in a siege._

The Lord of the manor sets his paws down and allows all of them to disembark before he returns to his humanoid form as Sesshoumaru scampers off in one direction. With a grin, Inutaisho notices Kagome's awe as she examines her surrounding. She takes a moment to glance at Inuyasha to see his reaction. Meanwhile, Inuyasha is trying to hide his own wonder, but fails miserably. Both Inutaisho and Kagome can see the surprise in the young hanyou's eyes. Inwardly, Kagome frowns sympathetically while she outwardly maintains an image of enthrallment. She feels sorry for him as she realizes that he must not remember this place or may never have had the opportunity to visit in the first place.

"Welcome, Kagome-san and Inuyasha, to our family home." They nod. "How silly of me; you must be wondering why you have never seen this place before. Our home is protected by a spell so that no unwanted or unexpected visitors may enter or find this place. When the main house was built about a couple thousand years ago, my ancestors were not as worried about the dangers of an open or unprotected house, as evident by the style of architecture. Sadly, soon afterwards, the shield became necessary. But, alas, I am getting ahead of myself, because we will discuss this in more depth at dinner. For now, you both must be tired and hungry after your journey."

Questions lurk in the back of her mind, but Kagome hopes that her prospective memory is good enough. She nods to their host. "Yes, we are incredibly honored to be here, Inutaisho-sama. You are also correct- I am a little tired and hungry." She smiles slyly and nudges Inuyasha with her elbow. "I know for a fact that this bottomless-pit son of yours is most likely starved."

Inuyasha growls at her. "Keh, Kagome. You didn't have to add the last part!"

"Oh would you rather me continue and inform your father about your table manners? Hmm?" He growls at her. She sighs. "I'm just kidding, Inuyasha. Can't you take a little joke?"

"It's not just a joke, wench!"

_Darn him- he deserves this._ "Inuyasha, don't call me that! Osuwari osuwari osuwari!" As usual, the pleasant sound of Inuyasha being pounded into the ground fills their ears. She hears a slight giggle down beside her and looks down to see Sesshoumaru holding up a couple of white and yellow flowers to her. She replaces his image with that of the older Sesshoumaru for a moment and tries to keep herself from laughing._ If the older Sesshoumaru remembered this, he would be mentally kicking himself. _

The young woman smiles at the young youkai. "Arrigatou, Sesshoumaru-sama. You are too kind. The flowers are beautiful. Why did you decide to give me flowers?"

He smiles back at her. "I always give flowers to Mika-san. You are pretty like she is and so I thought that you might like them. Oh, could you please call me Sess-kun?" She gently nods. He inches closer and whispers, "Can I call you Kagome-nee-chan?"

She winks at him. "Of course you can call me that- I would greatly honored, Sess-kun."

Meanwhile, Inuyasha eyes them with a complete priceless look on his face. Kagome tries not to laugh and somewhat manages, but she can tell that the hanyou can hear her inner laughter. Sesshoumaru notices that Inuyasha is watching them and walks over to his brother and smiles. "Inuyasha? Can I ride around on your back?"

Kagome enthusiastically dashes over to them. "Oh a piggy-back ride- that's a good idea." Both of them look confused, but she shrugs it off. She tells Inuyasha to bend down and she lifts Sesshoumaru onto his back. "See, Inuyasha, it's just like when you carry me around." He gives her a look that says that this is different because of the passenger. However uncomfortable he feels, Inuyasha runs around the immaculate grounds with his older brother on his back. Kagome sighs and grins as she watches Inuyasha relax and enjoy himself along with a thrilled Sess-kun.

Inutaisho, who has been watching their actions with great amusement, stands next to Kagome. "I can imagine that this might be a strange sight. I'm amazed that you haven't laughed yet." _Inutaisho-sama, you have no idea how strange a sight this truly is… and I have no desire to explain the full extent of my amusement at this time, or hopefully ever. If you could only get those two to get along so we could work together without the tensions… that'd be amazing. More than that, why does Sesshoumaru hate Inuyasha and humans so much? He seems sweet and congenial like his father for now. Still Goshinboku-jii-chan made that comment about whatever happened to Sesshoumaru's mother- maybe that's the key. Oh well… it's still hilarious to see them getting along._

"Oh yes, naturally I want to laugh, but you see, I don't want Sesshoumaru to get the wrong idea. As for making Inuyasha mad, who cares, but Sesshoumaru is just a child…"

"So you know Sess-kun in the future don't you?"

She sweatdrops immediately. "Oh yeah, I said I'd call him Sess-kun here, didn't I? As for the future, you could say that I have met him- in Inuyasha's time anyway, not in mine, Inutaisho-sama."

He nods and notices that his two sons are now out of sight or out of sight for her- she has no idea if the same is true of Inutaisho. "I understand. Well, enough small talk I suppose. You look tired and dinner will be ready soon. Would you allow me to escort you to your room and leave the brothers to entertain each other?"

"Yes, Inutaisho-sama, that would be lovely." He gestures to the center atrium, a beautifully landscaped area that contains a pool full of water lilies and fish. They walk to the back of the atrium. As they reach an open-air hall, he turns right to go up a flight of stairs; Kagome follows him up to the second floor. A few doors down, he stops and opens the door for her to enter.

"Kagome-san, here is your room. You are always welcome to have this room whenever you stay here or are nearby. Your presence is always a blessing- and it seems that it will also be the wish of my older son." _Yeah right- Sesshoumaru welcoming me to his home- umm, if you only knew… that will probably never, ever happen._ He pauses for a moment. "Well, can you please tell me a little more about your relationship with my other son? I am curious about his reaction to the question earlier."

"My relationship with Inuyasha?" The Lord nods. "Oh well, Inuyasha loves Kikyo- she's the miko who sealed him to Goshinboku 50 years ago… that is from his point of view. Our enemy, Naraku, tricked them into hating each other. He is also a hanyou who wanted to poison the Shikon no Tama with hatred so that it would have more negative power. As a result of his tricks, Kikyo died and Inuyasha was sealed. 50 years later, I arrived in a well from 500 years in the future and had the Shikon no Tama hidden inside my body. I freed Inuyasha so that he could save me, but after he did, he tried to kill me so that he could steal the Shikon no Tama and become a true youkai. Minutes later, Kaede-baa-chan put a spell on those prayer beads to bind them to him; it is that necklace that allows me to subdue him with that command. Since I accidentally shattered the Shikon no Tama, we are traveling around with our other friends and collecting the shards before the enemy can get them."

Although the monologue is long and confusing, as time-travel stories tend to be, he seems to understand, to her great relief. "Mmm, I see. He still loves her… but how can he love her if she is dead?"

"Urasue used her powers to bring Kikyo back to life, well somewhat. Kikyo hates Inuyasha now and wants to take him to hell with her. You must understand- he doesn't have any feelings for me, Inutaisho-sama, not really." _But I wish that he did…_

The Inuyoukai smiles at her and puts his hand on her shoulder as she looks down. "I would beg to differ. I may not know my son very well, but he is still my flesh and blood and I believe that he does love you very much, Kagome-san. We shall see about that; he is dense, just like his uncle." She looks up in surprise and Inutaisho winks.

"You have a brother, Inutaisho-sama?"

"I used to, but he was unfortunately killed in an accident a few years before Sesshoumaru was born." He sighs with obvious regret.

Kagome looks up at Inutaisho with her compassion showing in her eyes. "Oh I'm so sorry; that must have been particularly difficult."

With an air of cloaked sadness, he nods and shakes off the feeling. "Yes, but it was years ago. That is the way of this type of life. Oh well, I have badgered you enough for now, but perhaps we will get a chance to discuss this matter at a later date? After all, I will be able to get to know Inuyasha and you, my dear, better than I do at this moment in time and hopefully I will be better equipped to give advice to you both. Would that be alright with you?"

"Oh yes, that would be wonderful. I don't mind."

"Good! I had hoped that you would not mind. I do so want my sons to be happy."

Kagome inwardly sighs._ You wouldn't be happy to see them as they are in the future. Their interactions wouldn't please you; I'm sure._

"But for now, I will leave you to get ready unless you have any questions."

"Inutaisho-sama, can I take a quick bath and do you have any clothes that I could borrow perhaps?"

"There are many clothes in the closet. Of course you may have a bath or a shower if you prefer. There is running hot and cold water in the bathroom. You might want to show Inuyasha how that works later on- I assume that he does not how to use such devices."

She cannot mask her shock. "What! Hold on a moment, please, Inutaisho-sama! How is that possible?"

"Well, you have studied western civilization, haven't you? Do you remember the Romans? They flourished long before this time and yet they had running water. So many people forget that simple fact, but more than that, I have visited many supposedly undiscovered places and brought back a couple of useful inventions. I even went to America once."

"So you have traveled through time a great deal?"

He nods. "Well, I did travel several times after completing my training, but I have many obligations here and so for the most part I don't find it necessary or important to use that power now. But speaking of such complications, there are few matters that I need to attend to and so I will see you at dinner, Kagome-san." Gracefully, he walks out and softly closes the door behind him.

_Wow, that was really something else. All I used to know about his was that he was the Lord of the Western Lands, that he was Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru's father, that he gave them swords, that he married a human and that he was well respected and strong. I did not know that he had a sense of humor… I get to take a warm bath! Oh this is going to be awesome!_

Kagome walks into the private bathroom and stares unbelievingly at the sight before her. There is a bathtub that takes up and lines the wall to her left, making it about 15 feet long at the base. It is made entirely out of extremely smooth black marble. It is very high off the ground- the walls of it are taller than she is. She sees some stairs carved out of the marble and so she begins to walk up them. It is now that she realizes that the ceilings in here must be at least 16 feet high. As the stairs turn the left slowly, she begins to see the pool. It is about 12 feet long, 6 feet wide and 8 feet deep in the middle with stairs and seats carved into the base around the edges. But as if that is not enough, a huge rock ledge hangs from the ceiling and as she turns the knob for warm water, the hot liquid begins rushing over the ledge.

There are scented candles in strategic places around the bath and a pile of towels waiting for her. As she explores and marvels at the wonderful bath/lounge area, the bath fills in about 15 minutes. She undresses impatiently and then eases herself into the water as if to savor the moment. She turns the flow of water down so that it won't spill over and swims back and forth underneath the waterfall.

"Kagome? Where are you? I need to talk to you!"

_Wait is that Inuyasha? _"Inuyasha? I'm right up here, but wait just a second before you come up here." Quickly, she rummages for a robe.

Finally, she's ready. "Inuyasha, you can come on up now." He jumps up the stairs with a sour expression on his face, probably because of his games with Sesshoumaru. As he comes around the slight bend, his face becomes redder as he realizes that she's getting ready to take a bath.

"So aren't you going to, um, say the word? This conversation can wait until after dinner, but you aren't going to…"

"No. This is fine, besides, your father asked me to show you how to use the bathtub." She quickly explains until he understands.

He nods. "I think I understand now. Thank you for showing me. It would have taken a long time to figure out."

"I'm sure that you could've figured it out, but I'm glad to help."

"Well, I'll leave you to your bath and see you later."

"Enjoy your own bath, Inuyasha. I'll see you at dinner." He nods and walks down the stairs and out. _His face was the same color as his haori when he came in!_ She giggles quietly in remembrance. Then, she glances around the room with appreciation and happily gets back in the bath for another ten minutes. _This is amazing, but I am afraid that I am running out of time._ She looks down at her wrinkly fingers and decides that bath time is over.

She grabs a cream-colored fluffy towel and wraps it around herself. Next, she walks into the walk-in closet and finds a bunch of beautiful high-quality silk kimonos waiting for her. There are so many to choose from! After a few moments of deliberation, she finally chooses a purple one with white cranes flying on it. She glances at her watch and quickly towel-dries her hair and brushes it into place.

(break)

Finally, she's ready for dinner. She looks at her reflection in the mirror and smiles. She turns around a couple of times and admires the beautiful piece of clothing. Suddenly, another reflection appears behind her in the mirror.

"Kagome-nee-chan looks very beautiful!" Sesshoumaru hugs her from behind. _His head only comes up to my elbow- what a change from the tall youkai that he will become._ She exhales and laughs just a little bit. _When we return, I know that I will give him strange looks and he will think that I have lost my mind. _She hugs the young demon back. "It's time for dinner. A servant was going to come, but no, I wanted to come get you. May I, uh, escort you to the table, Kagome-nee-chan?"

She smiles brightly at him. "You are very kind, Sess-kun. I would be delighted if you would escort me to dinner." She makes a little bow and he giggles.

A/N- Yes I know that the hidden castle thing has been done but I have an unusual explanation for it in the next chapter, so please try not to roll your eyes at me too much.

Ok, that's all for now, but stay tuned because I have a great chapter planned for you next time- we'll meet Mika, Inuyasha's pregnant mother… we will learn the basics of the Shikon no Tama… not to mention hear about the first four souls! So I'll have that up ASAP! Please review!

BTW: Prospective memory is the part of memory that you use when you try to remember to remember something for the future. For example, Kagome wants to remember to ask her questions when they return to this conversation at some point.


	5. A Lovely Little Dinner

Ok I know it has been forever and a day- or longer than that actually. I'm sorry about that, everyone. I have had the worst writer's block on this story- and my other ones as a matter of fact (although I managed to finish Impurity of Selfishness if you haven't read that!)! I also began to get a little overwhelmed with how long this story might end up being… Oh well. sigh When I saw the new opening for Inuyasha, the one with Grip by Every Little Thing, I feared that the entire premise of my story might be completely overturned, so I waited… and I still don't know. I'll do my best to work in those new developments as they come along. That's the way it is, neh?

Special thanks to Jupiter's Light, inulover, Angelstars, ChibiJenn, caj-trixie and Kagome-Inuyasha for reviewing! I appreciate it so much. You are always an inspiration and a push to write faster, although it will not seem like it this time.

_Previously on CotS…_

Finally, she's ready for dinner. She looks at her reflection in the mirror and smiles. She turns around a couple of times and admires the beautiful piece of clothing. Suddenly, another reflection appears behind her in the mirror.

"Kagome-nee-chan looks very beautiful!" Sesshoumaru hugs her from behind. _His head only comes up to my elbow- what a change from the tall youkai that he will become._ She exhales and laughs just a little bit. _When we return, I know that I will give him strange looks and he will think that I have lost my mind. _She hugs the young demon back. "It's time for dinner. A servant was going to come, but no, I wanted to come get you. May I, uh, escort you to the table, Kagome-nee-chan?"

She smiles brightly at him. "You are very kind, Sess-kun. I would be delighted if you would escort me to dinner." She makes a little bow and he giggles.

Pt 5: A Lovely Little Dinner

"The human understanding, when any proposition has been once laid down … forces everything else to add fresh support and confirmation." – Francis Bacon, _Novum Organum_, 1620

"Love to faults is always blind." William Blake, Poems, 1791-1792

"Truth springs from argument among friends." Philosopher David Hume, 1711-1776

(break)

She glances down at the young youkai and is again amazed. _This is Sesshoumaru, the Lord of the Western Lands… he is being kind to me, a human. He hates humans with a passion in the future, but now he seems so different. Amazing… I wonder what could have happened to make him change so much… _As his fit of giggles ends, he straightens, pulls himself up to his full height and offers her the crook of his arm. She tries to link arms with him, but in order to do that, she would have to stoop. Instead, she holds out her hand in a hopefully graceful manner. He takes her hand and blushes slightly; he looks up at her in apology but her eyes only shine amusement, not reproach. He sighs, relieved and now full of confidence again. His eyes sparkle and he begins to lead her out of the room and down the stairs. As she sneaks a peek at him, he does not seem embarrassed about the height difference anymore. They go down the hallway and turn into the first room on the right.

As they enter, Kagome is amazed by the tasteful décor of the room. In the center of the room, a large round table covered in an immaculate white tablecloth waits for well-dressed nobility to sit down and be served. White wax candles create the mood for the evening as their light paints shadows on the walls. Inutaisho tends to a beautiful but still familiar woman who is already seated at the table. After a split-second, Kagome finally realizes who this woman must be. _She must be Inuyasha's mother, Mika_. _That means new moon… what an appropriate name considering what the new moon means for Inuyasha._ A wry smile appears on her face. _Yes, I almost didn't recognize her from this distance… but then again, I have never really met her. I remember that youkai that tricked Inuyasha into believing that she was his mother in order that Sesshoumaru find out where Inutaisho's grave site was…The illusion didn't do her beauty justice. _At the internal comment about Sesshoumaru, Kagome looks down at the space next to her. Sess-kun isn't there!

_Where on Earth did he get off to, I wonder? Oh he's just a kid…_ then she notices a white blur heading towards Mika. Sess-kun hugs Mika's arm to him and smiles at her. _Oh that's right. He adores her. It's still amazing to believe that he doesn't despise either of us. It contradicts almost everything I have ever seen or heard about Sesshoumaru back in Inuyasha's time._

Inutaisho beckons to Kagome with a gentle wave. "Kagome-san, please come over here and meet my wife, Mika."

She hurries over, or as fast as she wants to in the borrowed outfit. Suddenly feeling a little awkward and out-of-place with these beautiful people, she fears that she will stumble. To her relief, she doesn't miss a step. As she gets nearer, they all begin to smile at her. Kagome bows gently to Mika. "Hello, thank you for allowing me to stay in your home, Mika-sama. My name is Higurashi Kagome and I'm very pleased to finally meet you."

Her eyes sparkle and she reaches out a delicate hand to her. "Kagome-san, welcome. My husband has already told me a little bit about you and I am also honored to meet you… a time-traveler and a friend of my son," she places her other hand on her swelling belly, "Inuyasha."

Sess-kun pats her stomach in response and looks at Mika wonderingly. "Is Inuyasha really in there?"

The older woman smiles and winks at Kagome. "Of course he's in there, growing safe and strong. You're going to be a wonderful big brother and help a lot, aren't you, Sess-kun?"

He nods impatiently. "Yes, I'll protect my little brother… no one would dare hurt him."

At that moment, the hanyou of the moment dashes in the room in search of food. As his bare feet slide across the cool marble floor, his still wet hair sticks together and drips on the marble floor behind him. As his feet slide and his lateral motion decreases, he almost falls flat on his face. Luckily, his hanyou reflexes allow him to quickly regain his balance. Still, his face drops into a scowl until he lays eyes on the lovely pregnant woman in the center of our circle.

Staring in absolute shock, he takes an unconscious step forward. His surprise comes from the fact that in his rush to get to dinner on time, he forgot that his mother was here, alive and well. Quietly, Inutaisho begins muttering some words under his breath while placing a gentle hand on Mika's arm. Curiously, Kagome looks up at him in surprise, but he doesn't seem to notice. As the confused hanyou comes nearer, Inutaisho finishes his chant and winks at everyone else before gesturing for Inuyasha to join the circle.

Inuyasha nods and only has eyes for one person at the moment. "Mother," he manages to whisper.

She smiles and drinks in the sight of him. "Yes, it's me, my dear Inuyasha. You're so big- grown up and at the same time…" She pats her bulge and looks at Inutaisho. "Can I touch him?"

The father nods. "Yes, you may touch each other; I put a spell on you and the fetus to protect you all from the time paradox. It is safe."

Kagome's eyes widen in surprise. "Is that truly possible?"

Inuyasha mumbles, "Who cares?" Then he unabashedly gives his mother a huge hug.

Inutaisho smiles and then turns to answer Kagome. "Yes, it's possible. The spell is quite simple really. Oh well, if we are all ready, shall we begin dinner?" Inuyasha very reluctantly separates from Mika and everyone heads to their seats. After a quick prayer of thanks, they begin to consume the fabulous feast.

When no one begins talking, Inutaisho takes the initiative. "So, shall I tell you a little bit about the Shikon no Tama and its origins? Some of this you may know; some of it you may not know. Either way, I might as well start from the beginning. Is that acceptable to you both? Sess-kun, you should pay close attention as well." They nod, but remain silent. "Of course you know that the Shikon no Tama literally means the Jewel of the Four Souls. Then again, what are the four souls? They are the four spiritual elements- untamed strength, harmony, mystery and happiness. When these four aspects come together as one, they become the soul, or the heart of the physical body. Yuu comes from Yuuki or courage. Shin is from shitashi, or close friendship. Chi roots from chie or wisdom. Lastly, Ai is from Aijou or love and affection. Is this clear so far?" They nod yes. "Good…when these four elements are gathered together unexpectedly in times of chaos, a Shikon no Tama may be created."

He takes a deep breath. "What is not commonly known or rather has been forgotten is that there were originally four souls who literally came together to bring the people and youkai together so that we could live in peace and harmony. The first four meant to protect; their union was a symbol of how youkai and humans, two different species, could work together and have a mutually beneficial existence on the Earth. The pure hearts, or these souls who possessed this original condition, had good intentions, but power tends to corrupt and even the promise of power is potent enough to darken the heart. Initially, many youkai and humans intermarried, but over time, each side began to despise the other. The rulers' powers could not contain the growing evil. I'm not sure what happened after that; you'll have to find out. What I do know is that the growing evil was the reason for the barrier that protects and hides this castle. This place was not meant to be a fortress, but was meant to be a gathering place for all. Unfortunately, desperate times called for desperate measures. The world was not ready for the dream of the original four."

He sighs tragically. "Since that time, youkai have grown to hate humans more and have begun to see them only as prey and worthless vermin. Consequently, the humans believe that youkai are emotionless monsters that must be exterminated at all costs. It has become a vicious cycle, but neither side is free from guilt. The balance has been broken and it needs to be restored. That is our mission and our dream."

Kagome nods and asks, "I thought that our mission was to defeat Naraku because he was behind all the changes in the time stream. Is he somehow responsible for youkai hating humans and visa versa?"

Inutaisho scratches his chin in deep thought. "I'm not sure. I think the inherent nature of the issue would've been enough to be a mission, but if Naraku is as devious as you have told me concerning Inuyasha and Kikyo, I wouldn't be surprised if he went back, fanned the flames of the conflict and used it to his advantage. Since the damage is done, it is difficult to see what caused what exactly. We need to be careful not to overlook anything and not to assume causation in every case." He goes silent for a moment as he eats some more. "I don't know what else to say. There are more important issues that you will face, but the time is not right to reveal the pertinent information." The lord gladly delves into his meal.

Inuyasha looks up from his almost-finished meal. "Wait a second! You won't even tell us everything that we need to know? You're going to hold back useful information? Why does everyone keep doing that?"

Kagome whacks him over the head quickly. "Inuyasha, please be respectful to your father. He's been very kind to us, to you! He doesn't deserve to be badgered like this, so be quiet and finish your meal! I'm sure that he has a very good reason for withholding information. He's on our side after all, baka!"

Inuyasha growls, but he thinks for a moment and relents. "Ok, you're right." Inuyasha bows his head to his father. "Forgive me, Father, for my words."

Inutaisho, who is now almost finished eating, nods at Inuyasha and Kagome. "I understand your frustrations, my son. I know that you understand, although you want to pretend not to care. Kagome-san is quite correct, Inuyasha. I do have a good reason for not telling you now. The information will not help you at this point; in fact, there is nothing that you can do with it now. The information is not yet pertinent, but when it is, I will tell you immediately. Please be patient, my son. All will come in good time."

The hanyou gets a look on his face that says I'm-not-the-least-bit-patient, but he luckily remains silent and nods respectfully. Mika tries not to giggle at the stubbornness of her son. Kagome catches her eye and they mischievously smile at each other.

Inutaisho finishes and pulls three little boxes out with flair. "These are gifts for you, Kagome and Inuyasha. There is also one for Sesshoumaru in the future; could you please give it to him for me?"

Both of them get up and reverently take the boxes from him. Inuyasha's is in silver wrapping paper and Kagome's is wrapped in purple wrapping paper. Kagome allows Inuyasha to open his present first. He tears through the paper with his claws and opens the little box to peer at a silver ring in the shape of a moon that is shaded to show all its phases. Kagome gasps in surprise and smiles. Inuyasha looks at it questioningly and pokes at it with his index finger.

Inutaisho smiles slightly. "This ring shows your lineage, Inuyasha. It marks you as my son. It also will increase your ability to control your demon blood and increase the amount of power that you can use while still remaining completely yourself. With time and training, you will learn how to harness its powers." Inuyasha gets a huge grin on his face and starts to celebrate, but he looks around at everyone and holds in his excitement. Then, he gets up to shake hands with his father. "Thank you, Father, for the gift. I will do my best to make the most of this opportunity." Inutaisho smiles at the restraint of his son and watches silently as Inuyasha puts the ring on his left fourth finger.

Now everyone's eyes turn to Kagome. She gently opens the wrapped box, not tearing the paper nearly as much as Inuyasha did. The young miko also finds a ring box in her hand. She opens it to find a simple, but exquisite silver and sapphire ring. The gem is dark, but brilliant and reflects the light beautifully. The silver frames the stone well and she finds herself gasping in surprise. She looks up in shock. "Thank you so much, Inutaisho-sama. This is gorgeous. I don't deserve such a lavish gift."

"You've been a good friend to my son, probably to both of my sons. You are an extraordinary person, Kagome-san. I'm sorry that my gift has no powers to give you, but it did belong to my mother. I brought it back to her from the future; she would want you to have it."

Mika looks closer at the ring and smiles. "Yes, I think she would like that, dear. Kagome-san, I have a gift for you too. You've been very sweet to take care of my son and to care for him as you do." She takes a bracelet off her wrist and passes it to Kagome's waiting hands. "This is the matching bracelet to the ring. Come here and I'll tell you a secret." Kagome nods silently and walks towards her. Mika whispers in her ear so that no one else can hear her words, not even with youkai or hanyou heightened hearing. "These were meant for the woman who will become Inuyasha's wife. There is also a set here in the castle for the one who will be Sesshoumaru's mate someday. Inutaisho and I know who you are, please don't ask me how, dear, but we approve. It'll work out somehow in the end. Take heart and have faith in love." She pulls Kagome into a warm embrace and the young miko fights back the threatening tears. As the two women finally pull away from each other, Mika lightly pushes Kagome's chin up with her index finger.

Looking down at the gifts, Kagome puts them on- the ring on the fourth finger of her right hand and the bracelet around her right wrist. A very curious Inuyasha finishes examining his new ring and comes over to appraise her new jewelry.

Looking from his ring to hers, he playfully scowls. "Why do you get two things and I only get one?"

She closely examines his face for clues. "Do you really care that I got two and you got one or are you just making trouble?"

"Keh, your ring and bracelet are symbols of my family too; they shouldn't belong to someone like you!"

A vein begins to pop on her forehead. "First of all, that wasn't an answer to my question. Second, your ring is a symbol of your family and it will give you power. Mine are simply ornamental! I know that are excited about your ring and want to be obnoxious, but I think you went too far. Also, what the heck do you mean by someone like me?" Her tone suddenly becomes mocking. "Would you rather wear them yourself? They would contrast well with your white hair." She gives him a glare to drive her point home. "Besides, they aren't yours to give; it's not your decision. If your parents want to give them to me of their own free will, they must have a good reason, even if you are too dense to understand what that reason is!"

"Who says I don't understand and I am not dense, Kagome! But if you're so much smarter than I, do you know what their reasoning is?"

She shrugs lightly. "Maybe I do. What is it to you if you can't figure it out?"

Inutaisho steps between the quarreling duo with a silent reproving look. Kagome lowers her head in apology and Inuyasha sighs and looks away. "Ok, calm down, both of you. Inuyasha, we have our reasons. Someday you'll understand. For the moment, you'll just have to trust our judgment. After all, we have been around a few more years than you have."

"Keh!"

He looks at his son. "I know that you didn't mean what you were saying, but even as a game, some of those words were harsh towards your friend. If you're not careful, you'll have some real misunderstandings." Inutaisho looks out the window sadly and shakes his head. The Inuyoukai lord claps his hands together. "But that does not matter at this point… there is one more thing. I have a favor to ask of you, Kagome-san." He gently places something rectangular in her hand. A blue box rests in her right hand. "This is the gift for Sesshoumaru. Could you please give it to him for me? There is a note inside." Sess-kun gets up and runs towards them.

"Dad, can I have it now? I'm right here!"

He picks up his son with ease considering how big Sess-kun has gotten. "Son, the time is not right. You need to get this in the future. You will still receive the gift. You need to have patience."

"Like Inuyasha does?"

"Yes, both of you need to practice it… and here's a secret- I need to practice patience, too!" They both laugh and we smile at them- even Inuyasha cracks a grin.

After a relaxing dessert and a night of restful sleep in the castle, Inuyasha and Kagome must return home, well, they must go back to the Sengoku Jidai. As they wave to Inutaisho-sama and Sess-kun, they smile sadly that they must leave. With a sigh, the time traveling pair looks at each other, grabs each others' hands and places their free hands on Goshinboku. As the tree recites the spell and they concentrate, they find their selves out of time… and off into the future.

(break)

Ok, that's it for this chapter (which I went back and added to on 11/6/03 to fix a few things and add a few things)- not the longest chapter, but not the shortest either- I'm supposed to be studying for a math test after all! No matter… I get to tie in the Sesshoumaru thread soon which should be cool but I am always open to new ideas to work in. I should get the newer chapters up faster. Exams'll be over in a few weeks and I'll be free for the summer- until I begin working… oh joy! Anyway, thanks for reading and please REVIEW everyone! I'll update as soon as I can.


	6. Returning Home?

Hey I'm back. My exams went well and now I'm working 8 hours a day at the GLC (GA Lottery Corporation). Anyway, here's the next little tidbit. I wanted it to be longer and start on the next chapter, but I wanted to go ahead and get this out. I need feedback and ideas, everyone!

AngelStars, thanks for telling me about the newer episodes. I finally saw the episodes you meant and I'm with you. … oh I also went back and added a small fight about the rings back in the last chapter. You were right. Thanks!

Kagome-Inuyasha, Jupiter's Light and DreamScribbler- I'm so pleased that you're enjoying my fic! Thank you soooo much for reading!

Pt 6: Returning Home?

"If there were witchcraft, I'd make two wishes- a winding road that beckons me to roam… and then I'd wish for a blazing campfire to welcome me when I'm returning home." – Witchcraft, a song from Camp Merri-Mac in Black Mountain, NC

(Go Choctaw!)

(break)

The mid-morning light shines through the green leaves of the Goshinboku as it has done for countless generations. If you look at the living landmark long enough, you can pretend that you are in any time. That is the unspoken spell of the time tree. As you gaze at the tree, you may wonder if every tree can have that same effect. No one knows… except the trees themselves… but it'd be amazing what we'd all learn if we just took the time to simply listen.

In front of the tree, all normal sounds stop. Each squirrel and bird holds its breath as the gentle breeze abruptly stops. Wind and energy swirl around in front of the tree. The warm light that fills each of the inhabitants of the forest with peace also blinds them. In the center of the brightness, a beautiful young woman and a silver-haired handsome hanyou appear. The creatures begin to breathe again as the light recedes into the tree and Kagome's chest.

A few moments later, Kagome opens her shining eyes to find herself gripping Inuyasha's hand with a vengeance. The hanyou, who just woke up to glare at Kagome, sends her a look that says that her grip hurts.

"Oh gomen, Inuyasha… I didn't mean to hurt your hand." She immediately lets go.

Inuyasha turns away with a keh but mentally flinches.

The young miko turns to the tree and bows. "Goshinboku-jii-chan, thank you for taking care of us and also for bringing us back here safely."

"Congratulations to you, my dear. Your own powers are one of the necessary ingredients for the spell. Besides, someday you will be able to do the spell on your own; you have the power." She beams at him silently while the annoyed hanyou rolls his eyes. "Oh and don't feel left out, Inuyasha because you did well too. Your father seems very proud of you, as I knew he would be."

"Keh, enough of that blabbing, tree. Unless you are going to tell us anything useful…" He looks around as he mutters to himself, "For example- can you tell us where everyone is? They were supposed to meet us here!"

Still preoccupied with praise, the young woman's cheeks turn slightly red and she puts her delicate hands to her face to disguise her embarrassment. "Oh, I still don't know if I'll be able to do something like that, but I guess you know about such things better than I do. Thank you for having confidence in my abilities." She looks at her male friend. "You should be more polite to your elders."

"That's no elder- he's not human!"

"You're not completely human either but you expect to be respected!"

"Being youkai is a completely different story, wench!" She gives him a look that says that he's impossible. Ignoring it completely, he looks around. "Hey tree- if you're so smart and powerful, where is everybody? They're late."

Kagome sweatdrops. "They couldn't have known the exact minute that we would return after all. Maybe Inutaisho-sama has a point- you do need to practice your patience. After all," she breaks off for a moment and taps her bottom lip with her index finger. "Sess-kun certainly did. You don't see him spazzing all the time."

Furious about being compared to his brother, Inuyasha's face turns bright red. "Hey! Shut up! Besides, stop calling him that!"

The young woman taunts him with a playful smile. "What? Calling him Sess-kun? Does that bother you?"

"N… n… no, it's just that we are back in this time and he won't appreciate the nickname."

"Are you telling me to change how I speak, Inuyasha?"

"I'm trying to protect you!"

"Protect me from whom? Myself? Oh that's original! Do you think that I lack common sense?"

"The way you're always getting into trouble… sheesh yeah!"

"Oh come on! You're the one who always says or does something that makes a bad situation worse!"

At this moment, the others finally arrive to see the very familiar sight of Kagome and Inuyasha having a heated argument. Their torsos leaning towards each other, they are practically spitting in each other's faces. As a vein begins to pop over Kagome's left eye, Shippo and Rin take the opportunity to run towards her. As the orange ball of fluff appears on her shoulder, a little human girl in an orange and yellow outfit starts pulling on the older girl's sleeve.

In unison they enthusiastically yell, "Kagomeeee!"

Rin grabs Kagome's hand and starts pulling her away from Inuyasha. "Kagome-nee-san, do you want to play with Rin? Come on!" Then her wide-open dark eyes focus on a couple of sparkling objects that Kagome's wearing. "Oh wow… very pretty and shiny! Where did Kagome-nee-san get those from?"

Sango and Miroku give in to their curiosity and move closer to marvel at their friend's new jewelry. Suddenly the center of attention, Kagome blushes scarlet and looks over at Inuyasha who's still giving her death glances.

"Oh Inuyasha got one too." A picture of the hanyou with the feminine ring and bracelet appears in everyone's heads. They all look at him as if he was a crossdresser.

He realizes what they are thinking and so he begins fuming yet again. With his fangs showing, he spits back at them, "Not like that, you guys!"

They all look relieved. Miroku comes over. Inuyasha, who refuses to stick out his hand, takes the ring off his ring finger and hands it to the houshi for inspection. Holding it up to the late-morning light, he nods. "It's a silver moon that is shaded to show all the possible phases. The craftsmanship- I've never seen anything like it. What is the meaning of the symbolism?"

Inuyasha looks back at his friend and blinks.

Before he could open his mouth to respond in any way, Kagome shakes her head. "Weren't you paying attention last night to what your father said?"

"Yes, I was, wench, so stop nagging me and shut up!"

"Don't call me that!" Kagome fumes. "Osuwari!" As Inuyasha heads towards the ground with a curse spewing forth from his lips, Kagome mockingly asks, "So if you were listening, why don't you know the answer?"

Slowly lifting his head, he mumbles through a mouthful of dirt, "I wasn't listening to what Miroku was saying. You didn't have to say the word, Kagome." He sits up, rubbing the grass off himself.

Kagome sighs before taking a moment to explain. "Inutaisho-sama gave us a couple of very valuable gifts. To Inuyasha, he gave this ring; their family symbol is the many different phases of the moon. The ring will give him more power, once he learns how to control it. Not only will it increase his strength, but it will also help him to control his demon rage."

A split-second before everyone can react to this news, Inuyasha growls at Kagome's presents from his place on the ground. "She got two; she didn't deserve that much. Those should belong to my family, not some random girl from the future."

Kagome turns red. "Hey, we already dealt with this; I can't believe that you brought it back up again! Does it really bother you?" She yanks his hair and looks into his eyes. He looks away. "You're just acting that way because I said the word. Whatever, Inuyasha." She throws his face back down into the grass.

All of a sudden, Sesshoumaru comes out of the shadows where he has been watching everyone since the beginning. Examining the sapphire jewelry, his cool eyes spark with recognition. "That ring seems very familiar; it almost looks like the one that was meant for…" Kagome gives him a look and surprisingly, he nods and doesn't finish his revealing comment.

Wishing to distract everyone else, Kagome searches her mind for another conversational topic and quickly remembers her promise to Inutaisho. "Oh that's right! I almost forgot." She searches through her bag for a little blue box. Grimacing that she can't immediately find it, she pushes the contents around slightly more roughly. A few moments later, she sighs in relief and removes the object. Because she knows better than to expect him to walk to her, she heads in the youkai's direction.

Sesshoumaru watches her with his traditional deadpan expression, but somewhere in his eyes, she can see a tiny spark of curiosity- part of his childhood demeanor showing through. Kagome smiles to herself but wonders if that perception is only in her mind since she wants to see something of Sess-kun in the grown-up Sesshoumaru-sama, the tall and stately Lord of the Western Lands.

Shaking her head to dispel the idle thoughts, Kagome holds out the box wrapped in blue paper. "Sesshoumaru, this is a gift from your father. He made me promise to give it to you in the future, aka in this time period."

The inuyoukai examines the package before he takes it from the human girl and secures it into the folds of his outfit. He gently nods his head to show his thanks. Everyone stares at him for a few seconds and disappointedly frowns as they realize that he's not going to open the gift in front of them. Inuyasha, who has finally gotten off the ground from his seated position, looks particularly annoyed with his brother's secretive behavior.

"Why don't you just open it? It won't bite!"

Sesshoumaru simply looks at his brother with contempt. "I have my reasons." Gracefully, he turns on his heel and walks into the forest. Rin begins to follow him, but without turning around, he forbids her. "Rin, stay. Jaken, watch her."

Rin nods and salutes him. "Hai!" She turns 180 degrees and dashes back to chase Shippo.

Jaken, who had also begun to trudge after his master, stutters, "B…but, Sesshoumaru-sama, she will be safe with the humans. I can be of use…"

"Jaken, you can be use of me to stay and watch Rin."

"But when will you be back Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"I will be back when I am back, Jaken. Do not question my decisions."

The toad youkai nods solemnly. "Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama." He grasps his two-headed staff closer to himself as he reverses his direction to return back towards the humans and the Goshinboku. No one pays much attention as he grumbles sadly to himself.

Shaking her head at Jaken, Kagome watches Sesshoumaru leave the area and makes a small mental note of the direction that he's taking, although she does not know why. A picture of Sess-kun holding up flowers flies effortlessly into her head and a wistful smile appears on her face. She finds herself amazed that he was so different and for the hundredth time wonders what happened.

After that impromptu thought, a funny feeling comes over her- perhaps she will be able to help him, somehow. Although even his shadow has left the vicinity, the miko does not allow her doubts or fear to change the solid feeling in her heart. _Later_, a voice in her head whispers, _later_. Closing her eyes, she takes deep breaths to keep herself from running after him. After a moment, a wry smile appears because she is, like the members of Inutaisho's family, practicing patience. From a well of tranquility inside of her, she draws the ability to wait.

(break)

That's it for this one. The next one will focus on Sesshoumaru and the ring… hence the next chapter will be named The Lord and the Rings. Hehe I need ideas about what else to happen after this Sesshoumaru bit- or just ideas in general. Anyway thank you all for reading and please leave a little contribution in the review box!


	7. The Lord and the Rings

Here's the next chapter… I finally got it up- not nearly as late as most of the others lately, huh? But there may be typos or things I left out because I'm tired and I rushed, but I'll fix it tomorrow if there are.

Special thanks to Kagome-Inuyasha and Kdogg218- you two made my day!

IceRayven- Hey! Haven't heard from you in a while! I'm glad to know you're still reading… when I get a chance I'll e-mail you to tell you what's up. I hope you and your family are well! Thanks again for all your support!

Part 7: The Lord and the Rings

Standing outside his castle in the moonlight, Inutaisho thinks about his sons, particularly Sesshoumaru. Behind him inside the dwelling, Sess-kun, Mika and most of the servants are already fast asleep. Those who notice their master staring off into the distance know better than to disturb him and so they scurry off to continue their nightly duties.

A slight breeze picks up and causes the Lord's long, loose hair to waft in the evening breeze. The cool, crisp scents of grass and wildflowers tickle his sensitive nose. An untrained human would neither smell nor hear anything except the wind rustling through the trees; to them, silence hovers over the world of the Western Lands. However, Inutaisho's heightened senses give him an adaptive advantage over all those in the species of Homo sapiens sapiens. He can hear the soft sounds of life in the distance. All of these sensations should comfort him, but tonight, he cannot be comforted easily. A feeling of dread plaques the taiyoukai as he considers what must have happened in the future. _Kagome gave him the ring, didn't she?_

Not expecting an answer, he internally startles when he hears the Goshinboku in his mind confirming his thoughts. Nodding, he mentally thanks his old friend before blocking the connection so that he may think without interruption or detection.

_So now it begins. Soon, he will be forced to bring everything to the surface- both the good and the bad memories. I regret the turmoil that he will experience… but it is necessary, so I believe. He will at least know the truth and after that, he will be able to heal. He will want to seek revenge. I only wish there was another way…_

(break)

Sesshoumaru has wandered around the general vicinity for hours. The mid-afternoon light beams through the arching trees of Inuyasha's forest. In his hand, the unopened box waits and begs to be opened. An unusual emotion passes through Sesshoumaru's cool heart- apprehension. As he gracefully seats himself on a fallen tree with brown and green moss growing on it, he shakes anxious thoughts from his mind. _This is only a box; it cannot hurt me. I, Sesshoumaru, do not feel such ridiculous emotions. This box contains a present from my father; that is all._ As quickly as possible, he rips the box to shreds with his claws and sees a beautiful signet ring and a note resting peacefully in his hand.

_My father was passing out rings to those who come after him._ The beautiful youkai takes the ring between his thumb and forefinger to study it. The symbol of their family, the moon in all its phases, appears in brilliant 24 karat gold with a tiny centered diamond on that flat top of the ring. He then pauses to read the attached note from his father.

……

Dear Sesshoumaru, my son and heir,

I pray that you are well, dear boy. I wonder what type of youkai you have become. I'm sure that you rule the Western Lands with pride, dignity and strength, as did all who came before you. You always were extremely intelligent and strong. My wish is that I could see you as you are now, but there are pressing matters here. Since you are also the Lord, you must understand exactly what I mean.

How is your brother, Inuyasha? I hope that you have been taking care of him as you promised that you would. He has a purpose in this world- obviously his destiny is far different from yours, but he is still needed. I suppose that you recognized the ring and bracelet that we gave to Kagome and you know the implications involved. She will be Inuyasha's mate one day and I hope that you will also protect her, your future sister-in-law. I have seen how stubborn your brother is- admittedly a family trait from which we all suffer- but he is like your uncle, may he rest in peace. He will grow up someday- please teach him what I did not get a chance to teach him.

Now, I must tell you about your present. You must be wondering why I gave you another ring. This ring is a signet ring, but you will not be able to use all the aspects of this ring. You are a very strong ruler, but this is not a matter of will or ability. You will need to pass this ring on to the one who will follow you. For now, it is important that you wear the ring at all times. Someday you will understand.

I will explain more when the time is right. Remember what I said, Sesshoumaru. I remain as ever…

Your loving father,

Inutaisho, Lord of the Western Lands

…..

Sesshoumaru sighs deeply and shakes his head. _Father… why do you ask such things of me?_ He brings the ring closer to his face so that he can see it better. _I cannot use the ring? Why did you give it to me in the first place?_ His anger rises and with it, a low growl unconsciously escapes from his throat. _What do you mean by the one who will come after me? Is he insinuating that I should take a mate? The other Lords bring that subject up more than I can stand. Even some of the servants dare to make such ridiculous suggestions. What is the purpose in having a female around at all times? Physical pleasure? I could get that whenever I wished, but I have more important things to do with my time. Having a family would also leave me more vulnerable to attack. Also, having annoying offspring run around, make a racket, and practically destroy the castle would annoy me to no end. Besides, I cannot stand children… I can barely put up with Rin. Well, she's different; she is not like all the other obnoxious youngsters I have met._

_There is another possible meaning. If I should die now, the rightful heir would be Inuyasha. Maybe I will not live very long and Inuyasha, a half-breed, a half human will rule the Western Lands. Inuyasha, he seems to be Father's favorite because of that woman. He received Tessaiga… even if he needs it to control his demon blood, Father's blood. _He glances at the sword at his side and narrows his eyes slightly._ Tenseiga- another sword forged by Toutousai. I cannot deny the fact that possessing this sword has aided and even saved me. Without it, I would not have Rin. Without it, there were times when I would most likely have died. Even now, Father protects me. _All of a sudden he shakes his head to dispel that inalterable fact. _I do not need protection, not from Father or from anyone or anything else. I accept his gesture, but someday I still wish that Tessaiga would be mine._

He glances at the ring again. _Now I have another somewhat unwanted gift, but still I will bow to Father's wishes. After all, what could happen to me simply from slipping a little ring on to my finger?_ Shaking his head in annoyance, he positions the ring and slides it into place on the fourth finger of his right hand. Without realizing that he's doing it, he holds his breath. For an instant, nothing happens, so the inuyoukai sighs with reflexive relief.

As he relaxes, the forest around him seems to disappear. He blinks his eyes, but the view of the area does not return. After a few moments, he sees his castle as it was in the old days when he was younger…

dream

A young, elegant youkai strides through the castle with grace- as much as she can have considering that her pregnancy has almost gone full-term. A silver-haired young lord appears beside her and tenderly holds her hand.

Adoring her with every glance, he smiles. "How are you doing, Sumi, my love?" She gives him a cryptic smile; he pulls her close and kisses her gently. "Do not fear, dear one, everything will be fine. I will be here to protect you. I will do everything in my power to keep you happy and safe."

Sumi looks at him and smiles. "Love, don't worry about me so. I'm strong. I can handle this. Besides, Nami is here on call. Although she is a human, she is quite skilled. Between the two of you, I have nothing to fear."

He nods. "Did she say how soon it will begin?"

"Soon, very soon it will all be over. You will have a son, an heir."

"I would be just as happy with a little girl. That's what I told you when you first conceived. I just want you to be safe."

"I know." She affectionately caresses his cheek. "This is my gift to you. It has been my dream."

"Then continue to follow your dream. I love you." He pulls her into the protective circle of his arms.

She whispers back, "I know and I love you too."

Later that day, Sumi goes into labor for the first time. She was warned that the first time is always the hardest, but nothing could truly have prepared her for the experience. A few agonizing hours pass ever so slowly. Drenched in sweat and trying to breathe whenever she has a chance, Sumi continues to hold on for the sake of her unborn child. A midwife from a nearby village attends her travail. Sumi grew from a white haired youth to a stunning inuyoukai female to be the wife of the Lord of the Western Lands.

Although most youkai despise humans, Sumi did not. She knew that her husband had no objections to them and she was not one who was raised to despise another race, certainly not a race that had never tried to hurt her or her family. With her grace, came educated intelligence and common sense. She did not wish to single out members of any race and blame them for the mistakes that their species had made. In her mind, they were innocent until proven guilty. That is why she trusted Nami- caring, intelligent, perceptive and blunt Nami.

The child slips from the mother's womb and new life comes into the world. Nami cleans the young one and cuts the umbilical cord. "You have a strong son who looks so much like you, Sumi."

Sumi sighs in relief. "What a blessing… and Inutaisho has an heir." Nami smiles as she presses on the lady's abdomen to release the afterbirth, which gushes out onto the waiting sand. Meanwhile, the young youkai holds up her son and softly croons to him.

Time seems to freeze in place. Sesshoumaru, the child, stares into his mother's exhausted face and smiles. This moment is burned into Sesshoumaru's mind. In that moment, Inutaisho bursts into the room and Sesshoumaru's memory goes blank.

end

_I never saw her again…_ Sesshoumaru thinks. _They told me that she died in childbirth, but after I saw the birth of Inuyasha that was so easy for that human, I cannot accept that my mother would die in childbirth when a human could live. In the end, humans are only worthless vermin whose promises mean nothing. My mother was mistaken- she trusted her human "friend". Love, trust and friendship- what a waste of time… especially if humans are involved. They all deserve to die. My mother was accepting and they killed her! I hate them! I hate them all! _

At this moment, Kagome stumbles into the clearing in search of Sesshoumaru…

To Be Continued

(break)

Sumi means Elegant, clear and Nami means wave

Author's note- Children encode information to their long-term memory differently after about age 5. Most do not have memories from before this time, not because the information is not in the brain, but because the brain no longer knows how to interpret the code when it attempts to access it. Imagine that a computer is trying to access a computer file from the 1970's: the encoding is so radically different that the newer program does not know how to interpret the information. As with everything, there are exceptions to this rule.

Ok that's all for this little chapter… next coming soon! Please review everyone- your words really help to speed my writing! Unfortunately, I'm nice so if I have anything, I'll put it up anyway! Thanks to all who just read too… later minna!


	8. Blinding Confusion in the Clearing

Hey everyone! I am back! I can hear all the cheers! I would've had this up even earlier but I had some work to do. I'm doing better though and the more reviews I get, the easier it gets. I will still happily write the story anyways…

About this Sesshoumaru twist- yes I will write exactly how his mom died, as I tell IceRayven below, it's actually kinda important. It's a neat twist and I think you'll all like it. Also, I have a question- eventually he will have a mate, a youkai mate- but should he have another mate that dies or something- maybe half human or maybe youkai? SEE POLL AT THE END!

Responses- thanks to Divine-Heart and Kagome-Inuyasha- thank you so much for your encouragement! I'm glad that you both are enjoying this!

IceRayven- Sorry about the cliffhanger… and yes, I will tell exactly how his mom died. It's kinda important, but it will be up soon. I have a plan!

Part 8- Blinding Confusion in the Clearing

"Heaven is in the palm of my hand and it's waiting here for you. What am I supposed to do with a childhood tragedy? If I close my eyes forever, will it all remain unchanged? If I close my eyes forever, will it all remain the same?" Close My Eyes Forever, by Lita Ford & Ozzy Osbourne

(break)

Wishing that she has youkai senses, Kagome dashes through the forest and tries to guess where Sesshoumaru went. After an hour of searching, she is tired, sweaty, and almost ready to abandon her search to go back to the village where everyone is waiting for her. The modern miko wipes her forehead of salty liquid sweat and looks up into the trees. A breeze refuses to come to cool her off. As a result, the exhausted female sighs heavily.

_Enough of this nonsense! I don't even know exactly why I followed him in the first place. He certainly doesn't need me to protect him or to help him fight… and I wasn't sure that anything was wrong. After all, I've never seen him express any type of emotion… maybe he doesn't feel… because he's a youkai? No, that doesn't work. When Inuyasha loses control, he revels in killing other living beings. Also, I keep forgetting seeing kawaii Sess-kun… he certainly felt emotions back then! There is no doubt in my mind that Sesshoumaru must have emotions that are buried somewhere._

She nods to herself for emphasis. _Why I am trailing him? I am only following what my instinct tells me. I feel compelled to follow and discover the truth._

_Every clearing looks like the other clearing and every tree resembles every other tree. Oh look, another large mushroom… or it is the same one I passed thirty minutes ago?_ She sweatdrops and realizes that she's lost. _I better abort this mission and change my objective from finding Inuyasha's older brother to finding my way back._

She makes an about-face and walks through a few more congruous clearings when she sees a flash of white through the trees. _No way that's him because that would be truly ironic. What do I have to lose? At the very least, whoever it is might be able to help me get home. It could be him. How many white-haired beings do you know that want to wear mostly white so that they can be easily spotted?_

She shrugs to herself and moves on. Quickly and yet quietly, Kagome begins to walk towards the taiyoukai. _Surely, he'll be able to hear me. I don't know how to conceal the sound of my footsteps and even if I can't hear any tiny rustles from the leaves below, he will most likely be able to hear them. I'm glad I can't really take him by surprise, because that would be extremely dangerous._

(break)

Meanwhile, back in the clearing, Sesshoumaru relives the memories that he has of his mother and the chaos that ensued when she died. _For years, I believed what my father told me about her death. He told me that in that day and age females often died in childbirth. Although I know that to be true, I never questioned him about it- not until the whelp was born. Giving birth was so easy for her… and he brought in a special midwife to make sure that she was safe. Only then did I remember the evil glint in her eyes- the eyes of the miko that delivered me. She made sure that Mother died… I just know it. Father lied to me because he did not care to avenge Mother's death. If I ever met that miko again, I would gladly sink my claws into her flesh._ His anger fully aroused, Sesshoumaru wills his claws to lengthen and swipes them in the empty air. Almost unbeknownst to him, a savage growl trembles in his throat.

(break)

At this inopportune moment, Kagome appears behind him. An uncomfortable hush falls over the forest in anticipation and fear. The taiyoukai's anger makes his youki begin to swirl around him, faster and faster. He feels the disturbance in his youki where Kagome is standing. Her white, blue and silvery gold aura shines through his aura and purifies it. He turns to face her, but does not completely break out of his reverie. His eyes do not see her as she is, but only as a miko. The growl in his throat freezes for a moment before it strengthens in volume and depth. Narrowing his eyes with their thinly slitted pupils, he stands up.

On the stage of his mind, pictures begin to spin; perceptions and expectations merge to create a face. Mistaking Kagome's miko energy for that of the miko midwife, he stops processing Kagome's face and instead sees only that of the one he despises.

Kagome notices that his unemotional front has fallen, but instead of noting to herself that she is again seeing his emotions play upon his features, she feels a cold fear pass through her heart. Seeing his reddening eyes glaring at her, she begins to feel frozen. With each split-second, her heart rate increases. Naturally, the sight of an enraged Sesshoumaru is not completely unfamiliar to her since she has seen his battle-rage pointed at Inuyasha countless times over the years. At those times, she would feel afraid in her heart, but she was not so completely alone then. Feeling like a sheep gazing into the hungry eyes of a wolf, she takes a deep breath and tries to remain rational. Surely, she could break him out of this trance. _He gave his word not to harm Inuyasha so that promise must extend to the rest of us too. We all need to work together! He's a rational being, more rational than many I have met._

"Sesshoumaru?" Her voice is more tremulous than she would like. "It's me, Kagome, Inuyasha's friend?" He growls even more at the mention of Inuyasha and comes closer. "Don't you remember me? You gave your word that you wouldn't hurt us so that we could all go after Naraku together!" _Maybe he doesn't hear me. What happens if he doesn't hear me? I can't fight him! First, he's no ordinary, semi-weak youkai! He's unfathomably strong and he's also Inuyasha's half-brother! I'm not allowed to hurt him, even if I had brought my bow and arrows with me. Oh, God what am I going to do?_

As her internal monologue goes berserk, Sesshoumaru continues to move forward, totally uninhibited by the girl's greeting and argument_. He doesn't seem like the Sesshoumaru that I know. Does he even know who I am?_ Furtively, she glances down at his claws and stares as she notices a new ring with a familiar symbol. _What kind of ring is flat on top like that? Wait… I do know the term… it is a signet ring!_ In the back of her mind, she feels proud of herself for being able to dredge up the word.

Now, the taiyoukai is within an arm's reach of her and she finds herself momentarily frozen in place. _What are you supposed to do when cornered by a wild animal? Stay still so that they won't give chase. Ok, he's too smart for those rules to apply_. She shakes her head and realizes that she's not cornered yet. As quickly as possible, she backs up quickly and barely misses one swipe of his claws.

"Sesshoumaru, stop! You gave your word," she begs. Her cries of appeal fall on deaf ears. He does not respond at all, except to attack her more forcefully. Momentarily, she wishes that she had at least Inuyasha's hanyou speed and reflexes to help her counter his brother. She dodges again, but notices how his speed increases with each movement. A cruel smile appears on his face as he obviously sees her distress.

Shocked, her eyes widen in pure fear as time seems to slow down. She watches as he raises his arm above her. She is cornered without a place to run. Flinching, she braces herself for the impact and puts her hands over her face in despair, but no claw comes down to rip her to pieces.

Suddenly confused and unafraid, she looks up and sees a barrier around her. The outside of the barrier is golden while the inside glows a deep blue. Above her head, the colorful bubble holds back the threatening claw.

Realizing that he is not longer moving, Sesshoumaru's eyes widen slightly. Both Sesshoumaru and Kagome both look down at their respective rings and realize that the light is coming from their rings. The blue light emanates from Kagome's ring and golden light comes from Sesshoumaru's. As the taiyoukai backs away from her, the gold brilliance shines back into his eyes. He begins to blink. After a moment, he sits back and shuts his eyes as if he has a headache.

As she relaxes further, Kagome notices the blue light fade from around her to return back into her shining ring. Still shaking from the ordeal, she collapses onto a nearby tree stump. Sesshoumaru shakes his head, looks over and finally sees Kagome. Closing his eyes for a moment, he regains full control. "Miko, why are you here?"

Looking over at him, she laughs to herself to remind herself of how lucky she is. "Sesshoumaru, I simply felt compelled to follow you- I'm not sure why. What just happened? Why didn't you know who I was? Why did you attack me?"

His eyes narrow. "You have no right to ask me anything, miko!"

She sighs and shakes her head. "Oh really? You have joined our team for your own reasons, but you are working with us. Yet a moment ago, you tried to kill me! You gave your word that you would help us! What would your father say?"

Sesshoumaru stops as his father's words re-enter his conscious thoughts. '_I suppose that you recognized the ring and bracelet that we gave to Kagome and you know the implications involved. She will be Inuyasha's mate one day and I hope that you will also protect her, your future sister-in-law_.'

_She has a point… that would have been a dishonorable act. Father would not be pleased. She is the one who travels through time; she could tell him of this event. Although there is little that he could do to me, who knows what else is in store for me... _"I apologize for the dishonor, Miko."

Somewhat appeased, Kagome throws him an awkward half-smile. "What happened to you? What's with the ring? I thought it was from Inutaisho-sama, but he wouldn't give you anything that would hurt you."

Sesshoumaru thinks_… Sure he wouldn't. I put it on and I doubt it would come off. I will succeed through this, no matter what._ "He gave it to me and that is more than a woman needs to know."

"I wonder if Inutaisho-sama knows what happened just now…"

"You will not tell him anything of this incident."

"Why not? You are not my Lord or ruler, Sesshoumaru."

"You impudent…"

"Remember this; it would be a dishonor to hurt or kill me. Besides, I could tell your father about this. Just tell me why you attacked me and I'll keep it a secret."

He raises his right eyebrow. "Blackmail?"

"It may appear so to you, but I am only concerned about you. I wouldn't tell anyone without your consent. I give you my word; you can trust me… even stubborn Inuyasha does."

After a moment of silence, he dispassionately explains, "I mistook you for someone else." Then he hardens his face more than usual. "Your pretty words mean nothing, because a miko's word is completely worthless. Enough of this nonsense, it is of no consequence to you. I will return now to the human village. I assume that you were lost, so I will allow you to follow me. Keep any impertinent questions that are stirring in your head to yourself; you will not receive any answers, so bite your tongue. Let's go."

Kagome shakes her head and follows a few steps behind him. Together, they return as the sun kisses the horizon and the air begins to cool. Crickets begin to tune their instruments and the forest smells of sweet grass. Kagome feels exasperated with Sesshoumaru's answers, but she tries to reconcile herself with what she has learned. Besides, tomorrow is a new day- the day that she will go to the past. After all, there is no time to waste.

(break)

Ok that's it for this chapter. In the next chapter, Kagome will go back in time to the time of the Shikon no Tamas.

Poll: Sesshoumaru will eventually have at least one youkai mate (only one at a time). Here are the different possibilities; vote on your favorite! (Either way it goes, there will be Sesshy romance.)

-One youkai mate

-two youkai mates (one who would die)

-one hanyou mate (who would die), one youkai mate

-one human mate (who would die), one youkai mate

Please review and tell me preferences. Even if I have updated, you can give feedback- I'll take this part down or put the choice in when the voting is closed! Thank you everyone!


	9. Not As It Seems: Part 1

Yep, I'm back. I actually split this chapter in two, because I'm not done with the next part which involves going back in time. Although half of this you have seen, I figure it's better to split it and give it to you now than wait. I would've given it to you a few days ago but I haven't been able to access go figure. I was really annoyed about that!

Lylli Riddle- Thanks so much for all your reviews- I am so happy! I'm taking all your comments into account as I write and as I edit the older chapters.

Kar-chan- Thank you for your vote and for thinking that this is a pretty good fic! I'm so touched, really!

IceRayven- I'm so glad to know that you're reading. I'm glad that it's getting a more mature feel to it. I could never write a fic that was rated R, or at least not for explicit sexual content, but I do like to think that it's getting better. I'm trying to put some morals into my stories and some information tidbits that perhaps some people don't know. I'm certainly willing to learn from everyone else and putting it in the context of a story makes it more interesting. I hope that people are reading, although I certainly enjoy writing, it gets kinda daunting sometimes when stories get hundreds of reviews. What's your problem with the review button- you can e-mail me about it if you want- I'm better about answering e-mail than I was for a while. Anyways, thanks again for using the evil review button. I'll remember that you are always out there somewhere.

Sesshomaru Lover- No ideas? Don't worry about it! It's no big deal. Any feedback is worth it. Also, thanks for telling me about changing your name. I like the new one, btw.

Angelstars- Thank you for all your ideas and your vote. You'll definitely see more about Sesshoumaru's past and the deal with his mom. You're right- it is kinda twisted but as it came to me one day, I found that it not only fit well with my story but it also works well with the series itself. I could've revealed everything about it already, but I didn't for several reasons- to keep the suspense going a little bit and also to be more true to the nature of false assumptions/ memories. I haven't taken the full class on memory or cognition yet but from what I know, immediate retrieval does not usually happen. That false memory stuff is really complicated. sighs But as you will see, Sesshoumaru's case is one of what I call a failure of perception. That's one of the reasons for the chapter name… but you'll understand a little more of that in the next chapter.

Chapter 9- Not As It Seems: Part 1

"To those old allies whose cultural and spiritual origins we share, we pledge the loyalty of faithful friends. United there is little we cannot do in a host of cooperative ventures. Divided there is little we can do--for we dare not meet a powerful challenge at odds and split asunder." – JFK's inaugural speech, Jan. 20, 1961

(break)

Back in Kaede's village, everyone, with the exception of Rin, Shippo and Jaken, is sitting around a roaring fire to enjoy its flickering light and to discuss the events of the day. Inuyasha, however, is pouting because Kagome had insulted him… when she accused him of forgetting or not paying attention.

With a thoughtful and knowing gleam in his eye, Miroku leans towards his hanyou friend. "Are you still feeling annoyed with Kagome-sama? Inuyasha, it doesn't matter who informed us. What is important is that we were all brought up to speed about the Shikon no Tama and the four souls."

As the words pour out, Inuyasha narrows his further, if that is hanyouly possibly. Turning onto his side to face the door, he allows his agitation and annoyance a voice. "Shut up, bouzu! I don't care, alright?" He glares pointedly at his friend. "So stop wastin' your breath!"

Miroku closes his eyes and sighs. "Fine- I see that you are not yet prepared to discuss Kagome-sama." Suddenly grinning conspiratorially, the monk takes an opportunity to elbow his friend. "Not that I don't partially understand your motivations!"

The white-haired youth bristles at the contact and looks completely disgusted. "There is nothing to talk about- if there is, it will not be anything related to her…"

A knowing smile appears on Miroku's face. "Are you not worried about her?"

His eyes widen as he crosses his arms and turns away. "Keh, why'd I do that?"

"Because… she departed after lunch and has not yet returned, to my knowledge. I saw her walk in the direction of the forest. Sesshoumaru-sama also left us earlier."

In the corner, Jaken lifts his head at the mere mention of his master's name. Nodding in apparent agreement, he sighs heavily.

Miroku notices the sudden change in the toad youkai and takes the opportunity to include him in their conversation. "Jaken-san, are you worried about your master?"

Returning the question with a straight glare, he adds, "Of course not, human! Sesshoumaru-sama is the most powerful taiyoukai in all the lands. He could not be in danger; it is impossible. So unlike your pathetic miko friend… and no doubt you will find her body mangled and lifeless in the forest somewhere… Sesshoumaru-sama can take care of himself." Everyone, including Inuyasha, shifts their weight uneasily.

Miroku jumps to her defense. "Do not underestimate Kagome-sama or her powers, Jaken-san. She is more powerful than she seems… or than she knows. After all, she is the protector of the Shikon no Tama or," he turns to Kaede, "perhaps that is an incomplete title for her in the light of recent revelations?"

Inuyasha rolls his eyes. "She's too stubborn to die. She better not have gotten herself kidnapped."

Sango sweatdrops, but remains silent as Kaede adds, "I just hope that she did not surprise Sesshoumaru-sama in the forest. She is powerful, but she does not yet know how to control or tap into most of her powers. I do hope that he did not harm her in any way."

Jaken look disdainfully at the old miko. "Sesshoumaru-sama has his honor and he would not bother to hurt a worthless human if she is helping him to achieve a mutual goal. However, if he did injure her, it is not your place to speculate. He has a right to do as he pleases- it's the Lord's prerogative!"

Sango snorts. "You are always quick to remind us of such things- probably because he is always so quick to correct you in that particular area!"

Jaken glares at her and begins to stutter. "H…how d…dare you speak to me that way, you impudent, insignificant vermin!

At this moment, Sesshoumaru glides in with Kagome following a few steps behind him. "Jaken, be quiet."

Jaken runs towards his lord and prostrates himself devotedly at Sesshoumaru's feet. "Sesshou…"

Cutting him off, Sesshoumaru continues. "Jaken, although these are humans and deserve such insults, it is bad manners to insult teammates and hosts. You will apologize to the taijiya."

Jaken looks as if he is going to be physically sick. "B…but must I? She's just a vile human. They are unworthy of such social graces!" The lord does not move a muscle; his face remains impassive and commanding.

Jaken grumbles and stands up to face Sango with obvious reluctance. "I apologize."

The inuyoukai nods slightly at his faithful underling. "That was not so hard was it, Jaken?"

Incredulously glancing up at his master, he stares. "Well I never… my dead mother, may she rest in peace, would never have allowed such nonsensical behavior! Back in her day, humans were treated right- without any regard for their feelings. Back then, honor did not apply to them… the good old days." His eyes shine.

Kagome stomps up to him and attempts to use the height differential to her advantage. "That was not the beginning of the story! Both humans and youkai were created to peacefully coexist!" The toad youkai snorts, but Kagome continues. "Each race has its strengths and weaknesses. Remember that strength in this case does not always mean physical power. There was a time of peace between both groups, but unfortunately the ideal could not last; the fragile peace broke. Now, these many years later, youkai and humans despise each other and try to kill each other. You should also know that I have never seen any youkai in the time period where I live."

Jaken does not look disturbed, instead he looks mildly amused. "That's simply human fairy tales- how ridiculous!"

Sesshoumaru shakes his head. "Yes, it is a fairy tale, but think, Jaken. She has just returned from seeing my father. As powerful as he was, he always was pro-human. It is not her fault; she is repeating what fantasies Inutaisho told her. After all, he was the taiyoukai who actually liked humans." His last sarcastic word hangs in the air and its chilling tone sinks the human's hearts. They shift from one foot to the other and do not know how to respond. Their discomfort wipes their minds completely blank except for the shock.

After wetting her lips nervously, Kagome breaks the uncomfortable silence. "Yes, some of the information was from Inutaisho-sama." Jaken smiles mockingly, but she ignores him and explains further. "You see, that's what Inutaisho-sama told us about the time of the first four souls… but what a way to speak of your father, Sesshoumaru." The taiyoukai does not respond in any way. He does not bat an eyelash or change his breathing pattern. Completely still, he continues to stare at her without responding to her scolding. Sighing in exasperation, Kagome turns to Inuyasha to change the subject and continue the conversation. "That's where we're heading next- that distant past. We'll be able to tell you what is fact and what is fairy tale." Jaken snorts, but she confidently ignores him. "Inuyasha, tomorrow, we'll…"

"No, I don't wanna go with you!"

"You don't?" Kagome feels slightly crushed, but she doesn't allow herself to show it. Instead, she straightens and takes another approach. "So you refuse to protect me…"

"You don't need me for the spell and if you need me to protect you all the time, why'd you go running off without me today?"

"You wouldn't have wanted come with me anyway, not that it matters!"

Sango joins in. "It's not as if you were so keen to follow her, Inuyasha. You did say that you would protect her."

Inuyasha shoots back, "Will you stay out of this, Sango? It's not as if I have to protect you every waking moment, Kagome."

Kagome jumps back into the conversation. "Yes, but you said that you would be there to help me as I travel through time. You're still refusing to protect me as you said that you would, Inuyasha." She takes a deep breath and tries to calm down. "Come on, don't you think it could be fun? I bet the others are jealous that they can't come with us and you want to ignore this opportunity?" A curious smile appears on her face. "But more than that, it's the past- who knows what could happen to me?"

Sesshoumaru is not paying attention to the lover's quarrel until he realizes that Inuyasha is about to break a promise to his future mate. Inutaisho's words stick in Sesshoumaru's mind with relentless accuracy… _Protect her and teach him_. Inwardly sighing, he gives in to his father's entreaties. "Inuyasha, you gave your word and you will go. No one with the blood of Inutaisho flowing through his veins will act so dishonorably, especially towards your…" Kagome spears him with a look. "friend."

Inuyasha, looking both annoyed and puzzled simultaneously, turns around to face his brother. "You're playing big brother, aniki Sesshoumaru? Besides, she's human …"

"And you're half-human. This is not about race or species; it is a matter of honor. You have an obligation that you willingly made and so you will go… or I will make you."

Kagome smiles at both of them. "Besides that, what if I told your Daddy? I can make a pit stop and visit him. I wonder what he would say if you weren't with me. There'd be hell to pay, boy!"

Inuyasha growls under his breath in rage. "Alright, just shut up and I'll go!"

Thank you, Inuyasha!" Kagome leaps towards him and envelops him in a hug. His eyes widening slightly, he is not sure how to react so he just stands there in shock until she lets him go.

(break)

The Next Morning:

In the mid-morning hours, Kagome wakes up to hear rain pouring down outside. The drops hit the roof and slide off in an entrancing, rhythmic pattern. The air inside Kaede's dwelling is humid and somewhat cool. Kaede stirs nearby and stretches while succeeding in catching Kagome's eye. Quietly preparing to get up, the older miko almost flinches in pain as she begins to move. Putting her hand to her mouth in astonishment, Kagome realizes what is going on. _Kaede must have arthritis!_ She smiles sympathetically at her older friend and mentor, but does not say anything due to the fact that everyone else is still sleeping rather soundly.

Kagome looks around to see everyone sprawled around her- even stubborn Sesshoumaru came inside because of the torrential downpour. With an enchantingly innocent grin on her young features, Rin is curled into Sesshoumaru's long hair and tail. In a pile closer to where the fire had once been, Shippo and Kirara are huddled next to Sango. Inuyasha has his head cocked to one side as he is passed out in the corner with his back to the wall and Tessaiga in his hand. (A/N- like Kenshin when he's asleep, but hunched over more.) In a different corner, Miroku's hand is waving about in mid-air and twitching curiously as he sleeps.

Kagome smiles to herself_. My dear friends… what would I do without them? I don't know… and I don't want to find out! _She shakes her head in annoyance at the weather. _Rain or shine, it's time to get up. If we're lucky, maybe it's not raining in the past!_

Kaede nods to her and they agree to wake the others up. They begin to gently nudge their friends, but they don't go anywhere near Sesshoumaru because they do not want feel his wrath. Everyone blinks as they stare bleary-eyed around the small room. As some of them begin to yawn, Rin stirs slightly and wakes up Sesshoumaru with her movements.

The yellow-eyed youkai blinks, pulls himself into a sitting position and looks around the room. After taking a bit of sleep out of his eye, he narrows his eyes at everyone, except Rin who has already gotten up and moved away from him. His eyes rest on Kagome and Kaede for a few moments. Kagome shivers, but stares back while Kaede seems unaffected. The older woman closes her eyes and nods. "Good morning, Sesshoumaru-sama."

He grunts and growls, "Miko."

"Did ye sleep well? I am pleased that ye took shelter with us instead of being soaked from head to toe."

"I could have returned home."

"But ye chose otherwise. 'Twas late when the weather changed and the journey is not that short, even for a taiyoukai." He blinks. "Do not misunderstand, Sesshoumaru-sama; ye were very welcome here. I was honored."

"Hmph."

An intriguing smile plays on Kaede's lips as she turns to Kagome. "I hope that ye are ready to go?"

She nods in return and her long hair flows with her movement. "I am, Kaede-sensei."

The older miko shakes her head and waves her finger in a gentle reprimand. "Remember, child, 'tis Kaede, not Kaede-sensei."

A crimson blush graces Kagome features. "Sorry."

Patting her student's shoulder, Kaede smiles warmly. "No harm done, dear." Looking to the corner where Inuyasha has been half-observing them, Kaede addresses him. "Inuyasha, are ye prepared?"

"To go? Babaa, it's freakin' rainin'! Are you crazy? I'm not walking around all day in the rain!" Kagome laughs a bit. Inuyasha watches her and feels instantly annoyed. "What is it? Why the heck are you laughing?"

Calming herself, she looks in his eyes and authoritatively quotes, "You're not thinking fourth-dimensionally!" She giggles.

Everyone's jaws hit the floor; no one has any idea what she means by this random comment. Absolute silence falls over the group. After clearing her throat, Kaede opens her mouth to speak, but Inuyasha beats her to it.

"Wench! Why don't you speak our language?" Kagome narrows her eyes at him, but Kaede clears her throat again to get their attention.

Calmly, Kaede asks, "Kagome, what does fourth-dimensionally mean?"

Kagome nods and pulls out a piece of paper and a pencil. "Ok, well, the fourth dimension is time. Conditions, such as weather, vary from time period to time period. Here it's raining, but in the other time, it may or may not be raining. So thinking fourth-dimensionally means taking those changes into account." Everyone nods and has grasped at least some of the little lesson from Professor Higurashi.

(break)

That's the end of this part. As I said, I wanted to get this bit out to everyone. Next time does involve the trip into the past and I am not going to waste much time on them getting to the past- or I don't think I will- it'll mostly be the trip itself. See the very short preview below and review if you don't have an issue with the review box and if you do, feel free to e-mail me.

Note about Back to the Future- In the movies, Doc Brown is always chastising Marty because he's not thinking fourth-dimensionally. I'm sorry that I put this in, but I love those movies- I have ever since they came out. Naturally, I understand the theories better than I did back then. It does feel a little dated, but it's supposed to be that way. I would recommend the trilogy to anyone who has not seen it.

Poll So Far:

1 -One youkai mate

1 -Two youkai mates (one who would die)

1 -One hanyou mate (who would die), one youkai mate

0 -One human mate (who would die), one youkai mate

1-Rin as mate and stays alive

(Most of you like the idea that Rin would be Sesshoumaru's mate in some way and I may have that in there- haven't decided yet. If I do, there'd be mostly flashbacks to that time instead of a main focus on it because we're already juggling time periods and now Rin's only 11 or so- too young. But maybe some miracle will change that- I don't know. What I do know is that as a whole, you are all as divided on the subject as I am. Oh well! If anyone hasn't voted who has any idea or knows anyone else who cares, tell me your/their vote.)


	10. Not As It Seems: Part 2

Ok, a new chapter! Sorry it took so long, but it's finally out and it ended up being longer than my chapters normally are. Work was crazy; I was sick. sighs My second nephew was born(exact info about his birth time and weight are in my bio, if anyone's interested)- it was a wacky time. The good news for y'all is that I won't be working much longer, so I should be able to update more often. (Side note- I've seen through episode 118- yeah!)

About the new names: Nozomi means hope and Rai means trust. Masuyo means to increase the world. Finally, Kane has the following list of meanings: tribute, warrior; the doubly-accomplished, golden; man, the eastern sky; beautiful.

Review Responses:

IceRayven- Thanks for catching the spelling error- sometimes I don't get them all. sweatdrops Sorry that you were confused. I'm so excited that you reviewed twice in a row- it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.

Angelstars- Hehe glad you liked the teaser. More Sess-kun and Sesshoumaru stuff to come. Right now I setting up some things. Hopefully it'll all fall into place. I love Kenshin- great series. He's so cool! I thought about making this a slight crossover with RK so that I could use the Meiji Era as a time period, but then I realized that this would get even more complicated and much longer. I haven't seen Chobits, but I've heard some good things about it. Other than IY, I haven't seen much new anime lately. Oh well… sighs Thanks for the reading and giving me some feedback!

Sesshoumaru lover- I'm so glad that you liked the chapter- I hope that you enjoy this one too, although it sets more things up. I'll be updating more often from now on… those better not be not-so-famous last words, huh?

Chapter 10: Not As It Seems: Part 2

"So let us begin anew--remembering on both sides that civility is not a sign of weakness, and sincerity is always subject to proof. Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate. Let both sides explore what problems unite us instead of belaboring those problems which divide us."- JFK's inaugural speech, Jan. 20, 1961

(break)

As shinidamachuu fly around her head, Kikyo glides over to the Goshinboku in the pouring rain. Placing her hand on the place where her arrowhead had been embedded in the wood fifty years ago, she shakes her head sadly and little water droplets fly off her face and hair. "Goshinboku," she calls in her mind, "I know that you can hear me."

"Kikyo, why are you so restless today? Can I help you?"

"You gave my job to that girl who knows nothing of time or of her abilities."

"Kagome knows more than you would ever acknowledge, Kikyo."

She narrows her eyes. "This is my job- no one else's."

"Do you truly believe that, Kikyo?" She does not answer. "You are bitter, which is completely unlike how you were when you were alive." He sighs. "You have changed much since your life was taken from you. How can this be your responsibility?"

"I know it to be true, because it's my soul."

"No, the soul belongs to Kagome. You are not of this world…"

"She does not belong here either. Why didn't she just stay in her own time period?"

"It was her destiny to come here. Listen to me, Kikyo. I understand your frustration, but do not get involved and do not obstruct their progress."

"Their?"

"I mean the whole group, but particularly Kagome and Inuyasha because they are the main ones who can travel through time."

She scratches her chin as she eerily smiles. "He travels through time?"

"Just let it go, Kikyo; trust me." She doesn't answer as she disappears into the dense mist.

(break)

Back in the time of the four souls:

As Kagome had fervently hoped, it's not raining back in the distant past. Instead, a beautiful, sunny day welcomes them. Inuyasha sighs and is internally grateful, but he doesn't want to admit it.

With a tiny smile, he bounds off to explore. Kagome, who is also enjoying the change in weather, calls after him. "Inuyasha, where do you think you are going? You're going to get lost!"

The Goshinboku gets her attention. "Kagome, don't worry. He won't go too far away. Besides, if you think about it, he's safer here than he is the Sengoku Jidai." She nods but is not completely convinced. She begins to go after her friend. "Kagome, don't go yet. There is one more thing. I need to put a spell on you."

She turns around and faces the tree. "A spell- what for?"

"You need protection from the people that you'll meet."

"I thought that you said that it's safer here. Besides, I don't need such a spell back in the Sengoku Jidai."

"First of all, it is safer here, but not for you. You would need such a spell if you encountered Kikyo." Kagome's jaw drops and understanding dawns on her. "Yes, that's right. Today, you'll meet another that shares your soul. We don't want harm to come to either one of you." He murmurs a few words that sound familiar. She doesn't initially place the memory, but a few seconds later, the realization dawns on her.

"That was the spell that Inutaisho used on all of us!"

"Very good, Kagome. Yes, I taught it to him; it's part of the training. Since you now know who you are, it is time to train you. Not right this second, but soon. Now you must go meet Nozomi."

"Who's Nozomi?"

"Your counterpart, of course!"

"Does she know that I'm coming?"

"Yes, but she did not know the exact date." At that moment, Inuyasha races out of the forest.

He gives her a look. "You're still here?"

"Yeah, I am. Come on! Let's go." Side by side, they walk away. Suddenly, she turns to Inuyasha. "Did you find the settlement?"

He sweatdrops. "No, was I supposed to?"

"Well no, but since you disappeared so quickly after we arrived… never mind. What did you find?"

He shrugs. "Nothing much."

"Oh ok, so do you smell any humans?"

"Yeah, I do. Follow me. Wait, strike that- get on my back and I'll take you. That'll be much faster." She nods and climbs onto his back. Without any notice, he takes off. They race over hills and pause before crossing a stream.

Confused, Kagome leans forward and talks into his right ear. "Is it me, or does the land seem different than it was?

"I don't remember this stream. Besides, where did all these hills come from? The land was much flatter. Yeah it does seem different."

"Are you paying attention so that we can get back?"

He growls and her. "Yeah, I'm not stupid! Are you paying attention?" Not feeling like starting an argument, Kagome nods, sighs and gestures for him to cross the stream and continue to follow the scent of humans.

They finally find a settlement on the very edge of the forest. The main part is situated on top of a hill. In the shallow valley, they find a roaring river where men are fishing with nets and spears. Downstream, women are washing clothes by rubbing roots into them and beating them against the sides of the large rocks in the river. Squealing in delight, children are chasing each other up and down the hill. All around the base of the hill, young men are throwing crude spears at makeshift targets while the on looking young women smile and applaud. Another group of villagers practices with slings.

Both Kagome and Inuyasha cannot hide their curiosity. Inuyasha is not as curious, because his time is pre-industrial and agriculturally based. Kagome, being a child of the post-industrial Information Age, finds this culture more intriguingly foreign to her than that of the Sengoku Jidai. Clasping her hands together, her face alights with pleasure.

After a few moments of happiness, she decides that it's time to reach her immediate goal. She walks up to one of the women in the river and bows quickly. "Excuse me, but can you please tell me where I might find Nozomi-sama?"

The dark-haired stranger bows in return. "Welcome, strangers, to our village. You are seeking Nozomi-sama?"

"Hai, we are. We come from a far distant village"_ That's not even a lie!_

"I believe you. I have not heard of many hanyou in these parts, except for those that live here, of course." She nods.

Inuyasha steps in. "There are other hanyou here?"

"Oh you poor thing! You must be from _that _part of the lands. Well, no matter what you've been told or subjected to, you can rest here. Here, humans, youkai and hanyou live and work together in peace." She smiles at him sadly as his jaw hits the ground. Then she shakes her head and turns back to Kagome. "I believe that Nozomi-sama is weaving up in the settlement. Peace to you while you reside with us."

They bow to each other. As Kagome and Inuyasha make a path up the hill, he turns to her in confusion. "Who's Nozomi?"

She smirks. "Nozomi-sama is my counterpart here."

"Counterpart?"

"She and I share the same soul."

"Oh, like Kik…"

Kagome cuts him off. "Yes like _her_."

"Why do you get so snarly when I mention her name? It's just a name."

She sweatdrops and sighs heavily. "Forget it." At that moment, they reach the peak of the hill and the conversation is ended, much to Kagome's relief.

In the center of the complex, a group of women are making thread, weaving, sewing and decorating clothes together. In the middle of their circle, a woman with black hair with dark purple highlights is weaving an amazing piece of cloth. The creation has many different colors of thread, obviously colored by ochre, berry juice and other natural means. The pattern is not recognizable yet, since she is not anywhere near finished, but her unfinished portion is still impressive.

Suddenly, nervousness runs rampant through Kagome's heart. _She's so talented… I wish I could do something like that. Even if I took classes, it would take years before I could match her skill … Why did I come here? Why on Earth must it be me? Who am I, God, that you would send me?_

A clear voice cuts through her nervousness. "You were sent and all who have been sent have talents that are needed."

Kagome's head, which had fallen slightly closer to her chest, snaps up. The woman in the center of the circle is standing and looking her right in the eye. Kagome tries to guess the age of the woman in front of her, but cannot pinpoint the date. The lovely stranger could be anywhere between 20 and 35.

As her deep purple-blue eyes sparkle in the sunlight, the woman smiles. "So today you have come. There is much to say. Please come this way." Kagome and Inuyasha follow the woman into a nearby dwelling. They settle themselves on the floor in front of Nozomi as she gracefully sits on the intricate rug that covers the floor. "As you have no doubt surmised, I am Nozomi, one of the leaders of this village. You wanted to know how old I am, did you not?" Kagome nods. "I'm 25."

Kagome bows her head while Inuyasha stares. "Thank you for satisfying my curiosity. Nozomi-sama, I am Higurashi Kagome. Please call me Kagome. This is my friend, Inuyasha, son of Inutaisho. I believe that you know why we have come."

"Welcome, both of you. Please call me Nozomi, after all, wouldn't it be strange for two people who share the same soul to be so formal? I do know why you have come, Kagome. Still, I know less than you think I do; you give me too much credit. Please allow me to elaborate on my earlier statement." Kagome nods and Inuyasha yawns. "Thank you for your compliment, but the work I do does not have nearly as much to do with me as you think it does. Those who are humble enough to allow God to work in their lives seem to be powerful, but the power is God's. That's how it is with me… and how it will be with you. Because you think so little of your own power, you can be used as a conductor." Kagome nods solemnly. Nozomi smiles at her and places her hand over one of Kagome's. "Also, I have a present for you."

"You have a present for me?" Inuyasha raises his eyebrows. Kagome doesn't notice and so she turns to Inuyasha. "Inuyasha, I am so lucky this week; I get another present. How strange." He turns away with a "hmph".

Nozomi takes a necklace from around her neck. "Here you go. I will give you a warning though. After I place this over your head, please don't take it off without my permission." Kagome examines it. The leather thong is tied in a simple knot and strung through a hole connected to the carved, wooden pendant. On the front of the pendant, someone carved a design with five interlocking circles, with an arrow through the one in the center.

Kagome smiles and allows Nozomi to slip it over her head. After pulling her hair out so the cord goes only around her neck, she bows her head to Nozomi. "Thank you so much!"

"You are quite welcome."

Kagome nods quickly in thanks. Then, a strange warmth runs over her entire body and her senses become more acute. The smile on her face fades as her face turns redder from the heat. Nozomi notices this and acknowledges it with a gentle shake of her head. "So you felt it, didn't you?" Kagome doesn't speak but slowly moves her head up and down. She gives her new friend a questioning look. "Of course you want to know what happened. Well, I can't completely tell you yet. I can tell you that the pendant is very valuable…"

Inuyasha's ears perk up as he rolls his eyes. "Valuable? It's a piece of wood."

Nozomi ignores him. "Your powers have been heightened. That's the warmth that you felt. Only someone with our soul can truly use that pendant."

Kagome considers this for a moment. "What about all the stuff you said about power not being as much mine as power working through me?"

"That is a creation of power that was working through me. It just connected us through that pendant. You have access to the power, but you don't know how to use it. Goshinboku and I will train you, but now is not the time. Now, it is time for me to answer your questions. You know the basics from Inutaisho." Inuyasha's ears perk up. "Inuyasha, your father also came here to learn." He nods and pretends not to be interested. "So, do either of you have any more questions?"

Inuyasha takes a turn. "Who are the other three souls?"

"Rai is Midoriko's counterpart. She helps me run this village. She's away visiting the other two, one of which is her husband, whose name is Kane. Lastly, Masuyo holds Inutaisho's soul."

He nods. "I thought that the other two were youkai."

"They are, but youkai-human marriages are not uncommon, at least not now in these lands. Many humans in the Sengoku Jidai and your time, Kagome, have a bit of youkai blood flowing in their veins." The older woman turns her head to Kagome. "For example, although you are not my descendant, Midoriko was a direct descendant of Rai and Kane."

Kagome's eyes open wide. "Midoriko was part youkai?"

"Yes, she was, but just a tad, not so much that any physical traits would alert the world to that part of her heritage. As time has gone on, the human genes have become more and more dominant over the recessive youkai genes that used to be co-dominant. You, Kagome, are not in any way youkai, in case you were wondering." She looks at the hanyou to regain eye-contact. His curiosity gets the better of him, so he nods and looks her in the eye. "Inuyasha, your mother had a bit of youkai blood in her." He takes a sharp breath, looks away and nods.

Kagome looks surprised, but recovers. "So where are the others?"

"They are at the homestead that Masuyo has created. It is the same dwelling that Inutaisho lives in, but Masuyo is not completely finished building it yet."

"Isn't that house imposing to those who have never seen anything like it? Why doesn't anyone just walk right in and steal stuff?"

"They just wouldn't. At least I hope it never comes to that."

Kagome half-smiles and gently chastises Nozomi. "But it will and you know it."

Nozomi nods with a sad smile on her face. "The policy will change when those who live around here change. Only then will he put up the barrier."

The younger woman persists. "The evil is coming, right? Inutaisho said that people are already trying to mess with everything that you have built up!"

"Yes, but the humans and youkai in this area are loyal to the cause and to the peace. They are innocent and such ideas do not make sense to them. They are like little children…"

Inuyasha shakes his head. "They are more like stupid sheep who won't even think to prepare themselves for what may come. The wolves are coming and they just keep ignoring it!"

Kagome's mouth drops open and she glares at him. "Inuyasha, that was a bit harsh. Nozomi is only trying to do what she feels is best for her people. Even if we disagree, that doesn't make us right. How much do we know about this time and its people?"

Nozomi shakes her head. "Kagome, it's alright. He's allowed to see it that way. We aren't sure of what is to come, but we don't want to become like the others in our effort to protect our way of life."

Kagome sighs. "I hope that we can help you protect it. Naraku doesn't come only with the clash of iron on iron; he comes to strike at the heart and mind of his opponents. Unfortunately, death and misery almost always follow his involvement." Inuyasha lowers his head and Kagome feels slightly bad for him, because he is obviously remembering how Naraku caused the fight between Kikyo and himself.

Nozomi nods to show her understanding and asks, "Who's Naraku?"

"He is our opponent; we believe that he is behind the attacks on time. He is an extremely powerful hanyou. He is mostly youkai, but he was initially human. We have been fighting Naraku for about three years, but unfortunately, he seems to have disappeared."

Nozomi sits back somewhat. "I don't know of him, but I would say that he is having the most success in the Northern and Southern lands." She furrows her brow. "I will meditate on this and tell you what I've found next time that you come visit me. In the meantime, I can tell you that it is unlikely that he can directly travel through time. Still, there are ways around that. We can talk more about that next time…"

Kagome begins to finger her necklace and wonders why Kikyo never got the necklace. _Kikyo also shares my soul, so why didn't she come back in time when she was alive and get the necklace? If it seems to be passed on to each person who has the soul, why didn't she get it?_

Nozomi opens her mouth to answer Kagome's thoughts, but Kikyo walks into the dwelling. Inuyasha, who had been fidgeting, becomes remarkably still as she enters. Nozomi shakes her head and narrows her eyes slightly at the dead woman. "So, you've come. I don't know why you bothered. Has death kept you from thinking straight?"

Kikyo ignores her comments and turns to Kagome. "Give me the necklace. The mission is mine, as is Inuyasha. He should travel through time with me."

Kagome stands up to face her. "He makes his own choices." Inuyasha does not say anything, but only stares at Kikyo. _Come on, Inuyasha; help me out here, just a little. Don't just sit there like a bump on a log!_

Nozomi doesn't stand, but calmly and firmly deals with Kikyo. "Why didn't you listen to Goshinboku, Kikyo? Leave now, or I will make you. Read my lips: The necklace is not yours. It is Kagome's. It was never yours and you never could understand why. That's why it will never belong to you! I order you to get out of my house!"

Kikyo looks at Kagome. "This is not the end of this. The necklace is mine, little girl." She turns to Inuyasha, who is rashly annoyed at Nozomi for speaking to Kikyo like that. "Inuyasha, come with me," she chants sweetly. "We have much to discuss."

To Kagome's horror, Inuyasha gets up without a word and follows Kikyo to wherever she is going. After he leaves, Kagome looks down at her hand and wrist to see the sapphires reflecting the dim light. A tear begins in her eye, but another hand wipes it away. She looks up to see Nozomi sitting beside her.

"Kagome, don't worry. It'll work out. There is a plan for this. The necklace cannot be hers, as you will see. Even when she was alive, I could not give it to her. She was so blinded by her obsession for a hanyou- obviously Inuyasha- that she couldn't listen and allow that power to work in her. If I gave it to her, she would have gotten the power, but she couldn't have healed the world at all; she would only have hurt it through her selfish impulses."

_I have such selfish impulses, just like everyone else. Why did you give this burden to me? I love him too…_

"Kagome, you have been torn apart by his love for Kikyo, but you chose to forgive him… to stay for the good of your friends and to help him. Since then, you have matured further. You will make mistakes, but your choices make you different from Kikyo."

"I hope you're right." _But wasn't she a good person? Everyone always talked about how kind and good she was and how much she helped people._

Nozomi brushes away a lock of Kagome's hair from her face. "Kagome, Kikyo was a good person, if you can say that anyone is good, since no one is completely good or evil." Kagome gives her a confused look. "I know it sounds odd, but we don't have that capacity to be completely good or evil. Anyway, Kikyo had good intentions, but she made a mistake, as we all do sometimes. She got in so deep that she didn't even realize her position and that's what made it so dangerous." Kagome looks away and sighs. Nozomi moves so that she can look into her younger counterpart's eyes again. "Also, the time was not right. Kikyo didn't need the necklace. She had her own mission and you have yours. Don't doubt yourself, Kagome. If you do, it would seem that this Naraku of whom you speak will be more than happy to take advantage of that and use you to hurt your friends. That is how he strikes, yes? " Silence passes between them.

Kagome nods and her misty eyes clear. "Yes, he's sneaky. I hope that doesn't happen. I don't want to end up hurting people I love. I won't play into his hands." Nozomi smiles and then sits back. Kagome looks outside for a moment. "I should go." She gets up to leave.

Nozomi stands up with her and holds out her arm to prevent the other young woman from leaving. "Wait, Kagome, there is one more thing that I need to tell you. I have a message for the Lord of the Western Lands."

_All this time travel gets confusing sometimes._ "Nozomi, do you mean Inutaisho or Sesshoumaru?"

"Not Inutaisho, so it must be this Sesshoumaru. He's the taiyoukai from Inuyasha's time?"

"Yes, Inuyasha's half-brother…"

"I will remember that." The miko walks a few steps forward to examine Kagome closely. Putting a hand on Kagome's shoulder, Nozomi looks her in the eye. "There's something more about this, Sesshoumaru, isn't there? Why are you anxious and confused?"

"It's nothing; don't trouble yourself."

Not nodding, the older woman closes her eyes and places her hand on Kagome's ring. Strange energy passes between them and Kagome feels somewhat peaceful. After a few moments of silent communion, they back away from each other a bit. "I see."

Kagome looks wonderingly at Nozomi. "How did you know about the ring?"

"I didn't know about it, but you kept thinking about it and rubbing it with your finger, so I thought it might be able to help me see and it did."

"You saw everything?"

"I saw enough to understand your feelings and to be sure that this Sesshoumaru is the one to whom the message belongs. So please tell him the following: Everything is not as it seems. The more that you fight, the more that you become entangled in the fabricated web of pain and hatred."

"Wait- what does that…"

Nozomi cuts her off. "Please just tell him. All will become apparent with time."

"How did you know?"

"I know that it's essential to completing our mission."

Kagome sweatdrops. _That's not an answer to my question._

"I know it's not an answer, but trust me and remember what I said. Please try to come back soon, so we can begin your training. Don't worry too much, Kagome. Everything will work out." She tries to get Kagome to smile and finally succeeds. "So, where are you going?"

"Back to the Sengoku Jidai…" A picture of Kikyo and Inuyasha locked in each other's embraces comes unwarranted into her mind. She shudders and shakes her head. "Well, not there…" _Where should I go? Home? No, I don't want to pretend. I want to go somewhere where I can think about this. I'm not ready to face Inuyasha. _After few moments of thought, she gets the answer. "I'll go see Inutaisho-sama!"

Nozomi nods. "That's a good idea. Say hello to him for me. Well, Kagome, good luck on your journey.

Nozomi walks Kagome to the edge of town. Nozomi calls after her, "See you soon and take care of yourself." As Kagome runs down the hill towards the forest to find the Goshinboku, Kagome stops to turn around and wave.

(break)

Important questions to all of you:

1. If you have any questions to ask Nozomi or one of the souls, or Inutaisho- please ask me and I'll work it into the story.

2. Everyone, I have an idea about Inutaisho's brother- the one that reminds him of Inuyasha. I want to use it but I can make it slightly more interesting if anyone's imagination was piqued.

3. Should I deal with Midoriko and/or another one of Rai's counterparts?

Current poll results:

1 -One youkai mate

2 -Two youkai mates (one who would die)

1 -One hanyou mate (who would die), one youkai mate

0 -One human mate (who would die), one youkai mate

1-Rin as mate and stays alive

Kagome's going to see Inutaisho and Sess-kun in the past, but how will she react to Sess-kun considering what happened between her and Sesshoumaru in the forest? What will Inutaisho have to say about his younger son's actions concerning Kikyo? What'll happen when Kikyo drops Inuyasha off in the Sengoku Jidai? Find out next time on CotS!

Please review or send me an e-mail (for those who dislike the review system or prefer e-mail) Either way works!


	11. Always Darkest before the Dawn: Part 1

Hey everyone- I'm back. I was a little discouraged and sick, but I'm better now. I also have a chapter for you- I know you're excited. I also went back and made the changes in POV better throughout the story. Enough rambling…

Review responses: (if you didn't, just scroll on down please)

**Mediaminer**: Lor- thank you for your review and vote- I was so encouraged by your comment. Sometime later I may make a better intro for the fic.

**Fanfiction**:

jess- Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you soooo much for reviewing! Thanks for your vote too! I was feeling kinda down because so few people had commented on this chapter that I just felt sad!

Angelstars- I don't know if his brother'll be hanyou yet. I hadn't considered that, but we'll see. That could make the idea I had more twisty than before. Hehe Yeah, Kikyo was a good person. I added a bit to the last chapter to make that clear- I put it right under the review responses so if you want, take a look! Yeah I was furious about Inuyasha being so rude too, but I needed to work with this Kikyo problem if I'm going to set up Inuyasha and Kagome together and get the romance flowing. I don't want to just ignore the problem, so I didn't. Kagome can travel through time without him, especially since she has the necklace. She doesn't even need the Goshinboku, or she won't after she gets some training- and the necklace helps with that. Remember how the necklace is made out of wood? Well it's made out of the wood of the Goshinboku. Inuyasha can travel through time with Kikyo because it is some of the same soul and similar power.

Here's the bit that I added.

"Kagome, you have been torn apart by his love for Kikyo, but you chose to forgive and stay for the good of your friends and to help him. Since then, you have grown even more. You will make mistakes, but your choices make you different from Kikyo."

"I hope you're right." _But wasn't she a good person? Everyone always talked about how kind and good she was, how much she helped people._

Nozomi brushes away a lock of Kagome's hair from her face. "Kagome, Kikyo was a good person, if you can say that anyone is good, since no one is completely good or evil." Kagome gives her a confused look. "I know it sounds odd, but we don't have that capability. Anyway, Kikyo had good intentions, but she made a mistake, as we all do sometimes. She got in so deep that she didn't even realize her position and that's what made it so dangerous." Kagome looks away and sighs. Nozomi moves so that she can look into her younger counterpart's eyes again. "Also, the time was not right. Kikyo didn't need the necklace. She had her own mission and you have yours. Don't doubt yourself, Kagome. If you do, it would seem that this Naraku of whom you speak will be more than happy to take advantage of that. " Silence passes between them.

Kagome nods and her misty eyes clear. "I hope that doesn't happen. I don't want to end up hurting people I love. I'll do my best." Nozomi smiles and then sits back. Kagome looks outside for a moment. "I should go." She gets up to leave.

Chapter 11: Always Darkest before the Dawn: Part 1

"Some people are reluctant to consider the future, arguing that it must be left to solve its own problems and to shape its own beliefs. In all right efforts for the future, religion must be given first place. No provision to secure peace or just social principles can be worth much unless the foremost aim be to establish the Kingdom of God. It is not the minds and bodies only of generations to come that have to be remembered, but their immortal souls." - John Oxenham, _Winds of the Dawn_

(break)

As the late-afternoon sun smiles down on the world, Inuyasha follows Kikyo down the hill as the townspeople examine the pair from their places. Kikyo doesn't pay them any mind; she gracefully glides further down with each precise step. Inuyasha, as curious as ever, looks around with wide eyes. Every few seconds, his dark pupils focus on Kikyo. He wonders why Kikyo came and demanded the worthless-looking wooden pendant that weird woman had given to Kagome. Suddenly, he wishes that he had paid more attention to the details that they had discussed and he makes a vow to himself that he will try and pay more attention, no matter how worthless the information may seem at the time.

_My mother was part youkai? I wonder if my father knew that before he mated with her. He did come here to study, so maybe that was part of his reasoning… no wait, he loved her._ He looks off into the unfamiliar woods. _I am really in the past… and I was able to come here with Kagome's help_. His mind flits back to what occurred at his father's house. _I even got to meet my mother before she officially met me! That's just not natural. Sometimes I almost forget that I saw them… and I even forget the differences between Sesshoumaru and Sess-kun._ He stops walking and gleefully grins. _He would strangle me if I called him by that name, but he's not allowed to try and kill me anymore. Now, if he just wouldn't hang around and annoy me, that'd be wonderful!_

"Inuyasha, come on." Kikyo turns around and watches him from 15 feet away. "I want to make it back before sundown."

Inuyasha stumbles towards her, scratching his head. "Where are we going, Kikyo?"

"Isn't it obvious? We are going back to our time. We can talk there." She unemotionally states as she begins to walk on.

"Oh, right." He stumbles along after her. _Wait a second- we can talk there?_ Suddenly, flashes of what happened in the hut come back to him. Kikyo bursting in while Kagome was enthusiastically learning, Nozomi kicking Kikyo out of her some and Kikyo asking him to follow her… Immediately, something heavy settles in the bottom of Inuyasha's stomach. As a picture of Kagome's hurt face imprints itself in his mind, he shakes his head and scowls at his behavior. _Kagome appealed to me and I let her down. I didn't even say good-bye._

The pair passes over the river and Inuyasha remembers how Kagome had nagged him about remembering where they were going. In his mind, he can hear her sigh and feel her warmth on his back. When he reaches the other bank, it hits him- Kagome has no way to get back home. He stops in his tracks and turns around to debate what to do next.

Kikyo notices his dilemma and rolls her dark eyes in disgusted protest. Walking closer to him has no effect whatsoever, so she resorts to stimulating his auditory senses. "Inuyasha, let's go."

"Kikyo," he turns to her and allows one word to spill from his lips, "Kagome…" His muscles tense as he thinks about running back to find her and apologize for his behavior.

Her eyes following his, she sighs and puts her hand on his shoulder. "Inuyasha, don't worry about her. She's fine."

"B…but, she can't get back!" Inuyasha allows his panic to rise and as a result, he becomes increasingly irritable.

"Calm down- she can get back. She doesn't need you to travel through time."

His ears flick back and forth in the light breeze. His eyes narrow and his nerves snap. "Don't give me that bullshit! I've been listening to that overgrown weed and…"

She interrupts him tactfully. "Have you really been paying attention to what he said? Goshinboku never said that she needed you to travel through time. He said that you could travel through time because of the power that seeped into your soul over the time that you were sealed to him, but you also need Kagome's power… or mine. Kagome can travel without you; she doesn't need Goshinboku to time travel, especially now that she has that necklace."

"No one ever mentioned that." His anger melts for a moment so that he can figure out what's going on. "That necklace? It looked worthless."

"Your sword Tessaiga looks worthless in its untransformed state as well, Inuyasha. We can't judge worth on appearances. I know that you are aware of that fact. As for the pendant, it's made from the bark of Goshinboku."

"Is that why you wanted it?"

Kikyo's mouth sets itself. "It should be mine. They don't have time to dawdle and they would not have to re-train me. I received their training, just like the rest. _She_ must be trained."

Inuyasha gives her a questioning look and remembers how Nozomi refused to give Kikyo the necklace. "Why wouldn't Nozomi give the necklace to you?"

Kikyo glares at him and looks away. "She refused to give it to me when I was alive." Kikyo stops, but the hanyou's mouth opens to ask a question. She silences him with a look. A few seconds later, her eyes soften somewhat and she lightly throws her hands up in the air. "She said that I didn't need the necklace, but I saw the disappointment shining behind her eyes. She was always looking down on me and was prejudiced against me, just because of everything that happened with you."

Inuyasha's golden eyes snap open even further, if that's possible. "She knew?"

"You met her and noticed how she reads minds? She found out about my feelings for you, despite my efforts to keep her away from the subject. I should have known that her idealistic notions about youkai, hanyou and humans living in peace were just a farce!"

Inuyasha thinks about how kind the stranger that he met with Kagome and how nice and sympathetic to them, especially him. "Kagome and I met a woman who seemed to believe that youkai, hanyou and humans were different but equal."

"I don't know about the rest, but Nozomi does not really believe that."

Inuyasha remains unconvinced as he thinks about how Kikyo protected the Shikon no Tama in the past. "Maybe she didn't give it to you because you really didn't need it, regardless of her disagreements with you." Kikyo doesn't answer him, but she glares at him and walks faster.

A minute later, they see Goshinboku. Inuyasha sighs in relief and greets the tree, "Hey, what's up?"

"Inuyasha, you dared to come back without Kagome? That was very rude of you. She's a very forgiving young woman, but should you really test your limits like that?"

Kikyo defends him as Kagome did to her. "He makes his own choices."

"Kikyo, you didn't listen to me. I told you not to mettle in this matter. The necklace is not yours. You didn't need it and so why should she have given you more responsibility when you already had so much going on? That wouldn't have been logical."

Kikyo ignores Goshinboku and motions to Inuyasha to take his place beside the tree. Nodding in silence, he reluctantly shuffles forward.

Continuing his verbal assault, Goshinboku's tone becomes sharper and more insistent in their heads. "This is not the end of this, Kikyo. Don't you know what could happen if you touch that pendant? Are you paying attention to me?"

Neither the dead miko nor the inu-hanyou answers him. Kikyo invokes the spell and they are both transported back to the Sengoku Jidai, where the rain has stopped for the most part. A dense mist covers the ground and little water droplets fall down from the leaves on the trees.

Kikyo turns to Inuyasha and begins to walk him back towards the village. "Inuyasha, beware of Nozomi for all the reasons that I told you about earlier. She is not to be completely trusted. I don't want you to be brain-washed by her nonsense. Now when your little friend comes back, she will be filled with crazy ideas. You don't have to argue with her if you don't want to, but take what she says with a grain of salt. You are different from her, Inuyasha. Remember that when dealing with her." She looks around. "Now, I have some business to attend to. Thank you for choosing to follow me. I will see you again." She disappears into the forest without another word.

In the clearing, Inuyasha is left with his mouth hanging open and his loyalties torn asunder, though more so than usual. He shakes his head sadly and unenthusiastically goes back to Kaede's, where everyone is waiting. _I have to get back; they're waiting… _He sighs as a picture of Kagome's smiling face enters his mind. _They're waiting for both of us. _His white dog-ears droop and he stops moving forward. He lifts his face to look into the sky with one thought drifting desperately through his mind… _Kagome, please forgive me._

(break)

Meanwhile, back at Kaede's, Sesshoumaru sits around inside the hut by himself. Kaede left a little while ago to treat someone in the village; Sango and Kirara went along to assist the aging miko. Sesshoumaru had not paid attention to where Miroku went, but the taiyoukai didn't care. All he wanted was a little time alone. That is why he had ordered Jaken to Rin and Shippo to play somewhere else; they had a talent for getting on his nerves. Sesshoumaru smirks at the horrified look on his servant's face when he had looked out the window at the pouring rain. What else could Jaken do but to bow and to find a way to carry out his master's explicit orders? In the meantime, Sesshoumaru falls asleep to the sound of the light rain tinkling on the roof.

Sesshoumaru's dream

On a warm afternoon, Sess-kun is lost in a sea of flowers, carefully picking out the most beautiful blossoms. He smiles to himself as he picks up each one and arranges the bouquet in his hands. When he finishes, he runs back through the garden to his home, where his father and step-mother are waiting for him. He reaches the steps that lead into the house and he enthusiastically climbs them, much to the mixed dismay and amusement of the servants around him. They throw chastising looks in his direction, but he just smiles at them as he continues to run towards the dining room.

He bursts in the room and ignores everyone but Mika. He bows to her before giving her the bouquet of flowers. She thanks him and places the flowers beside her place-setting on the table. The next thing she knows, Sess-kun throws his arms around her pregnant belly. Everyone in the room laughs good-naturedly as Mika smiles and strokes his soft, white hair.

He pulls away and slightly anxiously looks around the room. All of the taiyoukai and their wives were there, smiling at him. He looks at Mika and whispers, "Why are they all here?"

Mika nods in understanding and whispers back, "I think that your father should explain."

Inutaisho comes nearer to them. "Sess-kun, they are here to acknowledge you as the heir to the lordship." Sess-kun puffs out his chest, but his eyes still reveal a bit of trepidation. Inutaisho winks at his son. "They are also here in honor of Mika and the unborn pup." At this moment, a middle-aged miko sprints into the room with a large bag.

Mika stands up and smiles. "To what do we owe this great honor?"

One of the taiyoukai asks, "Who is this person?"

Mika answers, "This is my older sister." Some of the nobles' eyebrows rise. "She's my half-sister, actually. Her mother died a year after she was born and our father married a younger woman, my mother. I'm the youngest."

Her sister comments with a smile, "And you're still wet behind the ears!" Everyone chuckles at the joke. The miko's face becomes serious. "Mika, I had a vision that your child would be born tonight, on the night of the new moon, so I gathered my things and rushed over here as fast I could."

The pitch of Mika's voice raises a few keys, but she tries to keep herself calm. "Are you sure? I haven't had any contractions."

The miko/midwife gestures to the pregnant woman's abdomen. "Mika, look how much the baby has dropped. Labor will begin soon."

About half-way through dinner, Mika's contractions begin and her sister rushes her off upstairs and keeps everyone out except a few female servants. Sess-kun sits outside the door with Inutaisho, who is sweating nervously. With each scream that comes from behind the door, the young youkai lord's face scrunches up as if he wants to share the pain of his beloved wife.

Sess-kun cringes for his step-mother and tries to keep himself from worrying. Instead, all he can think about is what his own birth must've been like. He had never asked his father much about it, because it always made Inutaisho so sad. After internally debating the issue, restless curiosity gets the better of him. He looks at his father. "Is this how it was when I was born?"

Inutaisho closes his eyes in pain and puts his arm around his son. "It was somewhat, but not the same."

Sess-kun looks puzzled. "Why is it different?" Inutaisho doesn't answer, so the young youkai looks worriedly at the door. "Is Mika-san going to die like Mommy?"

Inutaisho's head snaps up and he answers his son just a little too loudly. "No!" Then, he lowers his voice, "No, at least I don't think so."

Sess-kun squirms in his seat a bit and allows the dreaded question to come out. "Why did Mommy die?"

Inutaisho sighs heavily and kneels down before his son. "Sumi, your mother, was intelligent and beautiful. She liked to give humans the benefit of the doubt, which was unusual for youkai nobility, as you know well. I was overjoyed when I found out that she was pregnant with you. You see, she wanted so much to give birth to you, an heir and a wonderful son. I told her that I only wanted her to be happy. She followed her dream- to conceive and give birth to you. She was in good health, but giving birth is still dangerous. There can be terrible complications for both mother and child." He stops for a moment to cringe at a particularly loud scream from behind the door. "Labor went quicker than for her than most first-time mothers, but she was weakened from the ordeal and fell victim to an infection," His face scrunches up in grief and regret. He softly adds, "…despite our best efforts to protect her."

"Our best efforts?"

"Sumi's, mine… and the midwife's…"

Sess-kun nods in understanding. "Oh." Inutaisho's hunched over with his claw covering his face. The little youkai looks at his father and puts his arm around him. "Mika-san and her pup will be fine, father. Her sister is here to take care of her, after all." Inutaisho clutches something in his claw, but Sess-kun doesn't notice.

All of a sudden, a baby's cry fills the early morning air. Everyone outside the door sighs in relief, including Inutaisho and Sess-kun. The miko comes outside and quickly closes the door behind her. "Inutaisho-sama, you have another healthy son. The strange thing is that he appears to be completely human."

Inutaisho looks at her and smiles softly. After a moment of relief, his face breaks into a delirious grin and he begins to laugh. "Forgive me, but I was just trying to figure out why he would appear human. It makes sense to me now."

"Really? I…"

The taiyoukai quickly reassures her. "It's fine. Go and tell Mika that if she's worried. I want you to stay with her as much as possible." His eyes darken a bit and his face becomes serious.

She turns to go back into the room, but lingers for a moment. "Inutaisho, it won't happen like before..."

Inutaisho puts a claw on her shoulder. "I know. I'll put Sess-kun to bed and be right in to see her. Will you tell Mika that for me?"

"I will." She turns to Sess-kun. "You'll be a good big brother and take care of him, won't you?"

Sess-kun swells with pride. "Yep, you bet!" He smiles at Mika's half-sister.

"Come on," Inutaisho beckons, "Let's get you to bed. It's very late."

"Goodnight!" Sess-kun waves at the miko as she goes back into the room.

Inutaisho puts Sess-kun to bed and he is so tired that he immediately falls asleep. Inutaisho smiles as he walks out and goes to see his new son.

That night, Sess-kun dreams of what he imagined Mika's labor to have been like as well as what his birth was like. Little snippets from his birth flash in his head all night long.

In the morning, he goes downstairs and finds Mika nursing a white-haired baby with little white ears. Inutaisho, Mika and her sister are talking about how his demon blood activated once the sun came up.

Mika asks, "Is that always the case with hanyou? Is it always the same night that they were born?"

Inutaisho scratches his chin. "I don't know. Sadly, I don't know many hanyou. I'll try to find out secretively. That night he will be vulnerable, so we don't want people to find out the secret." Then he notices his eldest son. "Sess-kun, good morning. Come meet your little brother, Inuyasha."

Sess-kun sprints forward and scratches Inuyasha's ears so that they twitch. The baby opens his eyes and looks his brother in the eye. Both of them smile.

All the adults look at each other and smirk. Mika smoothes Sess-kun's hair that is wild from sleep. "Did you sleep well, Sess-kun?"

He nods lightly. "Did you? How are you feeling, Mika-san? Did it hurt a lot?"

Mika laughs at the set of quick-fire questions. "Yes, it hurt a lot, but I am feeling much better. Now, I will say that it hurt more than anything I've ever experienced before."

Sess-kun's face becomes much more serious. "Why would you go through something like that?"

She smiles good-naturedly and looks at Inuyasha. "It's more than worth the trouble and the pain. See your new half-brother?"

"I see him." After a moment, the young inuyoukai opens his mouth, but does not speak immediately. Softly, Sess-kun murmurs, "Are you going to die, Mika-san?"

Everyone's eyes open wide. Mika laughs nervously. "I sure hope not." Everyone laughs it off, but tension continues to permeate the room.

(break)

A few weeks later, Mika is feeling more like herself. She has recuperated from the ordeal. Sess-kun adores his baby brother and is constantly around him. Naturally, he does feel somewhat neglected since he used to be the center of attention and now he must share the spotlight with Inuyasha. Still, he is handling the transition well.

In the meantime, Sess-kun thinks more and more about his own birth and doesn't understand why Mika lived and his mother died. Both mothers were healthy, but the weaker human lived and his mother didn't. He didn't hate Mika for it, but he did feel that it was rather unfair.

After weeks of desiring someone to blame, he finally finds someone to pin it on- the midwife who delivered him. He thinks about it so much that some of the servants begin to worry about him. They tell Inutaisho when he comes back from his business. Although the patient taiyoukai tries to talk some sense into his son, his efforts are unsuccessful.

That same night, Sess-kun attacks the miko/midwife in the place of the one who delivered him. Luckily, Inutaisho was one step ahead of his son and is there in time to keep Sess-kun from having a second swipe. Inutaisho apologizes for his son.

The miko shakes her head. "No, it's fine. I'm just sorry for what has happened to him."

Inutaisho nods and lightly smiles to reassure her. "Yes, I know that and so does Mika."

"What are you going to do?"

He pauses a moment to think. "I'm going to try something. Sess-kun, relax." Inutaisho murmurs a series of words. Sess-kun falls limp.

"What did you do to him?"

"I tried to show him the truth, so he won't make any wrong assumptions."

"Without a background?"

"Even I don't completely understand it, but I can protect him from himself for now…"

Sess-kun wakes up, thrashing around in bed.

end dream

Back at Kaede's, Sesshoumaru wakes up murmuring unintelligible words. He thrashes around and wakes up after a moment. When he does, he looks up to see Inuyasha laughing his butt off.

"Good morning, bro! Did you have a scary dream?"

Sesshoumaru narrows his eyes, gets up and walks out into the humid, but otherwise, clear evening. He can still hear Inuyasha laughing a mile away and he sighs deeply, knowing that Inuyasha won't ever let him live this one down.

(break)

That's for this chapter! Part 2 will be out soon- Kagome went to go see Inutaisho by herself. He has to give her something… hehe The truth of Sesshoumaru's mother's death will be revealed to Kagome.

Current poll results:

2 -Two youkai mates (one who would die)

2 -Rin as mate and stays alive

2 -One hanyou mate (who would die), one youkai mate

1 -One youkai mate

0 -One human mate (who would die), one youkai mate

Please take a second and push the review button! I'll update faster!


	12. Always Darkest before the Dawn: Part 2

Ok everyone- I'm back. It was midterms and classes and everything- I kept writing little bits but then another test or term paper would sneak up on me. Here's the good news- I think I'm back on track. I'm also working on a webpage for my fanfiction- I've been meaning to do it and I have an opportunity in my Computer Science class. So that'll be exciting. If anyone knows of any particular pics that I should use, please tell me so that I can!

**Review responses:**

Angelstars: Thank you for telling about the part so that I could clarify that point. I don't really hate her either, but she does confuse me sometimes. I finally saw the second movie and I agree with you. That was strange. It was an enjoyable movie to watch, though. Oh well… here's another part for you. Sorry it took so long!

jess: Thank you so much for your review. I do sometimes get a little frustrated, but you cheered me up so much. I really appreciate it. I only hope that I can continue to write and meet your expectations! Thank you again!

Mediaminer-

Desha- Thanks so much for reading and for casting your vote!

Ruia Motou- I'm so glad that you're enjoying it. Thank you for voting!

**Last time: **

Kagome and Inuyasha went back to meet Nozomi. She welcomes them warmly and answers their questions. Also, she gives Kagome a pendant made out of wood. Kikyo comes in and insists that necklace is hers. Nozomi orders her out of the house, but Kikyo appeals to Inuyasha and asks him to come with her. He complies without a word and leaves Kagome alone with Nozomi. Thus, Kagome prepares to return to the Sengoku Jidai alone.

Kikyo and Inuyasha talk about Nozomi and travel back to the Sengoku Jidai, where Kikyo leaves him on his own. Inuyasha feels guilty about leaving Kagome and walking back to the village on his own. He wonders where she is and whether she will forgive him.

Chapter 12: Always Darkest before the Dawn: Part 2

Nozomi calls back to Kagome. "Where are you going?"

Kagome turns around with a questioning look on her face. "I'm going to Goshinboku-jii-chan, of course." She looks off into the distance and her shoulders slump at the thought of the distance. "It's not close, but I can make it."

Nozomi comes down to where Kagome is and shakes her head. "I should've told you before, but you don't need to walk so far. That pendant is made from the wood of the Goshinboku. You don't need anything else to travel through time."

Kagome's eyes open wide as she picks up the necklace from its resting place on her chest. Cocking her head to one side, she examines it as if she has never seen it before. Then she raises her eyes to Nozomi's. "But I don't know the spell, how can I?"

The older woman raises her hand to clear up the problem. "Kagome, I can say it for you. Listen to the words and try to remember them. We'll work on this another time." Kagome raises her eyebrow and Nozomi's smile increases. "Ok, let's get you on your way!"

(break)

Kagome, still clutching the pendant for dear life, opens her eyes to see Inutaisho's extensive manor stretching out before her, only ironically, they appear to be upside down. She sweatdrops as she looks up to see herself caught in a tree. The manicured grounds glisten as if a spring afternoon squall has come and gone. The humid air moves with a light, clean-smelling breeze as Kagome tries to hold on to the slippery branches. Her moment of struggle causes her to fall to the ground, although thankfully she manages to land on her rear instead on landing on her head.

She sighs and rubs her sore posterior. Looking down at her pendant, she scowls lightly and thinks that she prefers traveling with Goshinboku's help. Her hand grasps the pendant and she lightly wonders what to do. She is not sure where to find Inutaisho and she doesn't want to be mistaken for an enemy.

A deep voice from behind her murmurs, "You're back."

Kagome visibly jumps in surprise. She gets off the ground and turns around to face a smiling Inutaisho, who has his arms raised to show that he didn't mean to frighten her. "Sorry, Kagome-san. I didn't mean to frighten you. Welcome back!"

The adrenaline still pumping through her veins keeps her body in a state of alertness, yet she sighs to try and calm herself down. A couple deep breaths somewhat return the extremely fragile peace that she feels in her mind and heart. "Thank you, Inutaisho-sama and good afternoon. I appreciate your hospitality once again." Inutaisho nods, but doesn't say anything in response. Kagome nervously shifts from one foot to the other as she waits for his inevitable question. She inwardly sighs, because she's not sure that she wants to tell his father what happened at Nozomi's. She looks up at him but he doesn't act any more curious than normal. Finally, she gives up. "Aren't you going to ask me where Inuyasha is?"

He calmly replies, "I simply knew that you would explain in your own time. I didn't want to press you as that might make you more nervous. Did he do something ridiculous?" Inutaisho pats her shoulder in a comforting, fatherly way. "You can tell me; I'll try not to let the fact that I'm his father get in the way… too much. Paternal instincts you know…" He winks.

Kagome forcibly laughs. "Right."

He shakes his head. "Don't push yourself too much, Kagome-san."

At that moment, a white blur pounces on Kagome. She finds herself on her back on the ground with Sess-kun beaming down at her. "Kagome-nee-chan! I'm so glad that you're back!" Inutaisho walks up behind his son and gently places his claw on Sess-kun's shoulders. The younger youkai's eyes widen in instant understanding. He backs away with a priceless, sheepish expression on his innocent face.

As the young miko gets up and brushes herself off, she hesitates a moment in remembrance of what transpired between Sesshoumaru and herself in the forest- how he mistook her for someone else and irrationally attacked her. Inutaisho raises his eyebrow, but does not say anything because his eldest son is mercifully clueless. Kagome recovers as she remembers that this is Sess-kun. Looking down into his warm, happy yellow eyes, she brilliantly smiles back.

Kagome and Inutaisho share a bit of silent laughter. Inutaisho nods just slightly before turning back to his son. "So, you found us, did you?"

Sess-kun grins. "Hai!" He looks around the immediate area and then gives Kagome a questioning look. "I found you both, but that's all. So where's Inuyasha?"

Both Kagome and Inutaisho sweatdrop. He recovers before she does and tactfully answers, "We didn't want him to be with his mother when she's pregnant with him. We aren't sure of the possible negative side effects; prolonged exposure could be quite dangerous. Speaking of Inuyasha, could you do me a favor, as the responsible big brother that you will be? Would you mind watching over Mika for me while I visit with Kagome-san?"

Sess-kun gets a little testy for a moment, but then complies somewhat happily, because he loves Mika so much. As he leaves, he calls out, "Father, please find out when he can come back, because I want to play with him again, ok?" Inutaisho nods his assent and Sess-kun runs off in the direction of the main house.

Kagome smiles after the kid and then looks at Inutaisho with a teasing and questioning look in her eye. "I thought that spell that you put on the two of them was enough to protect them."

Inutaisho winks at her. "Well, yes, that's true, but I had to tell him something, now didn't I?"

Kagome shrugs. Taking a deep breath, she turns her mind back to the subject that they had been discussing before the tangent.

Inutaisho gently prompts. "So, please tell me what happened, if you're comfortable." She doesn't answer, so he tries another approach. "So you went back in time and met Nozomi, Masuyo, Rai and Kane, didn't you? What did you think of the time period?"

Kagome's eyes light up for a moment. "Well, I just met Nozomi actually. She seems very talented and intelligent. I'm just not…"

Inutaisho contradicts her. "Don't beat yourself up. You have your own talents and strengths."

She blushes. "Ok, you're right. I have to stop doing that. If I keep saying things like that, someday I might come to believe it- or worse, others might also believe it." She looks away. "I have this strong desire to be humble sometimes… and there are other times when I let my pride get the better of me. I do have my own strengths, but there are times…"

He nods and looks her straight in the eye. "Pride can no doubt be a bad thing, but if you doubt yourself too much, it will make it much harder to succeed in your appointed task, Kagome-san."

She doesn't know how to respond, so she nods obediently. Finally she finds her tongue. "So, what was I talking about- the past? It was incredibly beautiful and fascinating; it reminded me of the Sengoku Jidai, but better in a way." In her mind's eye, Kagome remembers the way that the past was different. "You know what else? I hadn't expected the topography and vegetation to be as different as they were."

"Yes, I was amazed too, but remember that mountains become hills and valleys over time due to erosion. Besides, the forest was younger back then. That also makes a difference. It was a long time ago, no matter how long it takes you to get there." He winks at her.

She giggles. "That's very true. I'm just thankful that I'm not the only one who noticed something like that." She racks her brain for more information. "Also, all the inhabitants seemed to be living together rather peacefully- at least the ones I saw did."

Inutaisho's youkai lips turn upwards slightly at the corners. "Yes, they are lucky. I admit that I wish this time could be like that. If I showed any more overt favoritism to humans, I would be facing an inquiry courtesy of the other taiyoukai. They're afraid of humans gaining political power and threatening taiyoukai rule. They want the humans to live primitive lives without being educated."

Kagome nods with a sad, introspective look in her eyes. "Knowledge is power, isn't it? If they knew any better and believed in their own power, they could be somewhat dangerous. I understand. I've studied such revolutions, as I'm sure that you have as well."

"Not as much as you have, but yes, I have. What is sad is that in the Northern and Southern lands, hatred, fear and prejudice already rule in that time. No matter how hard the four souls tried to convince the leaders of the other lands that their way of thinking was limited and inaccurate, they found no way to maintain the fragile peace between humans and youkai in all the lands."

Kagome nods and adds, "Ideals are dangerous in a way. They can be twisted to mean whatever leaders want them to mean. Still, there is no other way to get people to work together as willingly as they do when they work toward a common goal, no matter how negative that goal may be. After all, there's safety in numbers and if they are not taught to think for themselves, their minds are vulnerable." He nods and sadly sighs.

She smiles sadly as he guides her into a beautifully manicured rose garden. The humid air moves with each short gust of wind that lifts up the clean smell of fertile soil. In the center of the garden, there is a white gazebo. Inutaisho gestures for her to sit down, so that they may talk.

A warm feeling of comfort passes through her heart and all of a sudden, she feels as if she can tell Inutaisho and fulfill her purpose in coming to this time. "Inutaisho-sama, I did enjoy meeting Nozomi, but…" Her voice fades out slightly.

"But?"

"The afternoon didn't end up as I had planned." Her voice cracks on the last word, but luckily a surge of frustration overrides her hesitancy. "Inutaisho-sama, as Nozomi was telling us about the pendant…" She lightly caresses the piece of carved wood with her fingertips. "Kikyo came and demanded that I give her the necklace. Then, when Nozomi asked her to leave, Kikyo asked Inuyasha to come with her. He left without a word."

He gently asks, "Kikyo is the one who sealed Inuyasha?"

Kagome nods and looks away. A couple of furry animals scamper up in the tree. A solitary leaf floats down, obviously falling prey to the animals' games. Kagome reaches out as if to grasp the leaf, but changes her mind and lowers her arm to her side. "Yes, the one from whom I am supposedly reincarnated…"

"Does the idea of being reincarnated bother you or is the thought that you could come from that particular individual?"

"The whole thing is unnerving to me, Inutaisho-sama. I'm not me- I'm just a replica, a reproduction."

"I can understand that, but would you allow me to tell you something?" She nods. "You are most definitely you and no one else. Your soul is your own, too. Most people are relatively familiar with the process of reincarnation, but they don't mentally grasp it correctly. First, if you are reincarnated from anyone, it's Nozomi, not Kikyo. Also, your soul is your own, but there is part of Nozomi's soul with yours. It is intertwined, but they are different." Kagome thinks for a moment and nods. "Does that make you feel any better?"

Kagome nods. "Yes, actually it does. I am me and I am not connected to Kikyo as much as people like to believe. Inuyasha, for one… at first that's who he saw when he looked at me. I don't think it's quite that extreme now, especially since she is walking all over creation."

"Don't give up, Kagome-san. Eventually he'll be able to see you as your own person. What matters is truth, not perceptions…"

"Even if his perceptions, though false, change the way I live my life? There was a time when I almost gave up being around him because he had chosen Kikyo over me. Although Inuyasha and I have grown closer, she is always there between us because of that. I knew that when I came back to him. It was too late; I only wanted to see Inuyasha and to be near him."

Inutaisho smiles at her a places his hand over hers. "You really love him, don't you?" Kagome turns bright red. Inutaisho reassures her as she tries to pull her hand away from underneath his. "It's ok, Kagome-san. I think that it's wonderful. I won't tell him."

Her bangs hide her eyes. "There are times when this all feels doomed and hopeless."

"Love isn't easy, Kagome-san. I found that too, with both Sess-kun and Inuyasha's mothers. I know that Inuyasha loves you, otherwise I would not have given you that ring. I can tell by the way that he looks at you and acts in your presence."

Kagome half-smiles. "Maybe he does, but if so, he happens to love her more."

"Maybe, but I think not. He is young yet and has a lot to learn. Just wait and see. You have a mission- who knows what will happen?"

"You know, don't you?"

He smiles. "Of course I do." Then he laughs to show that he's kidding. "No, I don't know exactly what will happen. Inuyasha is much like my brother was." Kagome's curiosity is piqued, but he silences her. "There's not time to explain right now, but I promise I'll tell you next time that we talk."

She sighs and shakes her head. "Older brother- so was he anything like Sesshoumaru?"

Inutaisho smiles slightly. "So you're willing to talk about my older son? Please tell me about his relationship with Inuyasha and your friends. Is he a good taiyoukai? What did he do that made you tense up earlier around Sess-kun?"

Kagome sweatdrops. "You don't want to know."

"Is it really that bad? Please tell me. I would really like to know- it's important."

"Well, his lands seem to be in order as far as I can tell. He keeps trying to kill Inuyasha to get Tessaiga and now he has Toujikin, the sword that broke Tessaiga's blade. He agreed to help us only to protect his lands. Most of all, he says he hates humans and hanyou and yet he allows a little girl to travel around with him."

Inutaisho sighs. "This saddens me, but there's more, isn't there?"

"Did you get mind-reading lessons from Nozomi?"

"No, but call it father's intuition."

She shakes her head in frustration. "He got a ring from you that he put on but when I went to find him in the forest, he attacked me and didn't remember who I was. As he was about to strike, lights from my ring and his ring protected me from his attack. Then he woke up and refused to explain. He apologized, but was more cynical about humans than he was before, especially miko it seemed."

Inutaisho sighs, but nods in understanding.

Perplexed, Kagome looks at him.

"I'm sorry, but I can't explain until Sesshoumaru remembers."

Kagome sighs deeply and mutters how annoyed she is that she keeps hearing that she'll find out something later.

At that moment, both look up to see Kikyo standing before them with her arrow ready to fire in her bow. Kagome stands up to confront her. "Kikyo, where is Inuyasha?"

Kikyo's face remains impassive. "He is back in the Sengoku Jidai. He went back to find everyone else. We had a lovely talk, thank you for asking. But I digress… I warned you that this was not finished. Now, give me the pendant that rightfully belongs to me."

(break)

Final poll results:

3 -Two youkai mates (one who would die)

3 -Rin as mate and stays alive

2 -One hanyou mate (who would die), one youkai mate

1 -One youkai mate

0 -One human mate (who would die), one youkai mate

I've decided to write it as two youkai mates. I'm sorry to those who wanted it with Rin, but I just don't think that I can write that. That's one of the reasons it was not originally an option; I guess I never should have made it an option. Anyways, thanks to all of you who voted!

Anyways, stay tuned for the next part, which is Always Darkest Before the Dawn, Part 3! Please review everyone, if you want!


	13. Always Darkest before the Dawn: Part 3

I've been so bad about updating that I tried extra hard to get another chapter up soon, because I left another cliffhanger to try and get people to review. throws hands up I tried but it didn't happen. Instead, I finished a huge project, wrote a 20 page paper and studied for two exams. But classes are over and I have some time to write now. I know you are all excited!

Review responses:

Angelstars- I'm sorry that the chapter was sad, but it was for a reason. It'll all pan out. Thank you for giving me my 50th review on this story (or the 50th on Thanks for the comments. I'm glad that you liked the plot. First of all, the reason that it changes from sentence to sentence is that I change from internal thoughts to description- italics, which maybe don't show up as readily on your screen, symbolize those internal thoughts. Originally, this story was written completely from Kagome's perspective, but because I wanted to focus on others later, I changed it. I didn't want to leap around too much in the beginning because I already thought people would whine about the story moving too slowly. I feel it was a tradeoff that may be later evaluated. I'm about to move into another phase, shifting gears if you will, and the others will have more of a say. But I'm glad that you like the idea at least…

ILoveInu!- Thanks for reviewing and giving your honest opinion about the story. Now about your comments- 1) In the eighth episode, she is wearing a bathing suit, something I had forgotten so I'm glad you pointed that out. Still, he wasn't sitting there right with her- it still wasn't that ok for him to be watching and she never explained what it was. I changed it anyway- also because I didn't like how that part of the scene turned out. 2) Inuyasha and the rings… I didn't say that he really cared about the rings, but that he was just whining about it. That's how I saw him teasing her about it. I went go back and make that more clear, tho. 3) Acting childish in front of his parents- at that one part, I imagine that he almost forgets that they are there. 4) Yes I may have a lot to learn and I may not be an English major, but I feel that most of what you feel is unforgivable ooc-ness is mostly our differing interpretations of the characters. (Besides, if we all write in English or any language other than Japanese, we already cross the boundary of something all the characters wouldn't do.) Yes there are boundaries for interpretation but in most cases, that's what makes fanfiction fan fiction. If you dislike it and disagree with me so much, don't read it- the rest of it will be based on what happened so they will seem more occ, because they'll change according to what happens. I will try to keep your warnings in mind tho.

_At that moment, both look up to see Kikyo standing before them with her arrow ready to fire in her bow. Kagome stands up to confront her. "Kikyo, where is Inuyasha?"_

_Kikyo's face remains impassive. "He is back in the Sengoku Jidai. He went back to find everyone else. We had a lovely talk, thank you for asking. But I digress… I warned you that this was not finished. Now, give me the pendant that rightfully belongs to me." _

Chapter 13: Always Darkest before the Dawn: Part 3

The wind whips around the group and dark clouds roll in from the northwest. A thunderstorm brews in the vicinity. Kagome's eyes widen instinctively, but she does not move. Only a gust of cold, whistling wind answers Kikyo's request.

Kikyo, obviously annoyed, continues her speech. "Yes, reincarnate, I will take the burden that rightfully belongs to me."

Inutaisho majestically stands with a sigh. "Hello, Kikyo-san. As you have already surmised, I am Inutaisho, Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru's father. It's nice to finally meet you. I've heard so much about you. Now, listen- it's not a good idea for you to take the pendant from Kagome."

Kagome bites her lip for a moment and then takes a confident step forward to give her own reasons. "Kikyo, Nozomi gave it to me. If it was meant for you, wouldn't she have given it to you in the first place?"

Kikyo answers, "No, she wouldn't have given it to me. Her prejudice overrides her common sense so I am here to correct that blatant mistake."

Inutaisho shakes his head. "Nozomi certainly isn't perfect, as she will willingly admit, but I know for a fact that she is not like that."

Kikyo narrows her eyes. "Maybe you only see what you want to see. She says that she embraces tolerance, but she is a fraud."

Inutaisho counters, "I know her quite well, Kikyo-san. You were not the only one that she taught." His golden eyes flash slightly. "Although Nozomi is prone to mistakes, this is not one of them. There are other reasons for her choices. This is Kagome's quest. You had your own mission and it is time for her to fulfill hers. There are things that you don't know…"

"I know enough!" Before anyone could stop her, Kikyo rushes at Kagome and touches her fingertips to the pendant. A spilt-second later, a bright, golden light expands from the pendant. In her shock, Kagome silently calls out for Inuyasha. Inutaisho mumbles a spell under his breath as everything around them seems to fade for a moment. A blinding white light shines right in their eyes and instinctively, they close their eyes.

(break)

Everyone opens their eyes to find themselves surrounded with light blue light. As Kagome looks down, she almost falls down when she sees that she is not standing on anything in particular. On the other side of the space, Kikyo examines her surroundings. Her sometimes unexpressive eyes widen in curiosity. Inutaisho completes the triangle.

For a moment, no one knows what to say. Kagome and Kikyo both freeze, almost forgetting what had happened before they had come to this place. A ghostly memory of Kikyo touching the pendant causes Kagome's memories to solidify in her mind's eye. She reaches for the pendant around her neck, but can't find it. The necklace is in the center of the space.

Her eye notices a bit of smoke swirling behind Inutaisho. Within the murky depths, a familiar figure becomes more apparent, the form of Inuyasha. She wants to call out to him, but she finds that her voice is stuck. Kikyo notices the new arrival and finds it difficult to speak for a moment as well. Their throats clear and they speak his name at the same time.

Inuyasha doesn't move from his crouched position. Inutaisho shakes his head and sighs. "Ladies, he can neither hear you nor see you. A barrier is around him for the moment. There are important matters to discuss."

Kagome throws a lingering glance at Inuyasha, but turns her attention back to Inutaisho. "Where are we, Inutaisho-sama? What is this place?"

"This is Equilibrium. It is not a place, not a place as we define place. It is a state of mind, a state of being, but it's not a place. This is where everything is in balance. That's why you do not stand on anything in particular. Here, time does not pass. That is why I brought you here."

Kikyo sighs. "I remember hearing about Equilibrium, but only as a joke."

"It is quite real. So is what just happened in the garden. Kikyo-san, do you know what would have happened had I not brought you to Equilibrium?" She elegantly raises an eyebrow at him. "You believe that you would have the pendant and that you would be on your way to wherever. I can show you what will happen. Nothing can reverse what occurred now."

In their heads, Kagome and Kikyo see the garden with Inutaisho and Kagome sitting down to talk. Then they see the conversation and finally the moment when Kikyo's fingers touched the pendant. Light purple light encases Kikyo's body as she pulls the necklace from Kagome's neck with a jerk. Both women fall to the ground in slow motion.

Kikyo's head jerks around. As her eyes go wide in fright, she glares at Inutaisho, who stands in the same place with a sympathetic look in his eyes. Kikyo shouts at him, "You knew this would happen to me!"

He quietly answers. "You didn't listen to me. I told you that there was more than you knew about that pendant. Yet you chose to take it without all the information."

Kikyo closes her eyes in pain for a moment as she tries to protect herself, although she does not let go of the pendant. "Did she know?"

"No, she does not know. But even so, please be at peace. When you let go of your anger, the pain will end. Then you will be set free from yourself."

After a few moment, Kikyo begins to smile, but then holds herself back for a moment. "What about Inuyasha?"

Inutaisho sighs. "He will miss you very much, but are you really who you were when you were alive? Inuyasha can get revenge for you, but he will never forget his first love. I never forgot mine." Inutaisho stops for a moment, but he knows that Kikyo is listening. "You must set both of yourselves free. By holding on, you give in to Naraku's plot. He must rejoice in your torn soul."

Kikyo is taken aback. "How did you know about that?"

Inutaisho sighs and answers, "A little bird told me. But even so, is holding on to the pain worth it? You cannot stay now no matter what."

"You're right." She begins to shine a light purple, then clasps her hands together in prayer. "Please let him hear me. Inuyasha, I'm sorry. I love you… goodbye Inu…ya…sha." Blinding white light explodes from the place where Kikyo sits.

Meanwhile, tears flow unbidden down Kagome's cheeks. As the light fades, her eyes search for Kikyo. All that remains is the pendant. Kagome cries harder and buries her face in the ground for the suffering that Kikyo endured.

The vision ends and Kagome and Kikyo try not to look at each other. Neither can speak. Inutaisho speaks for them. "That is what will happen, no matter what. I wanted to give you more time to think and also to say goodbye to Inuyasha."

Kikyo nods. "That is the truth behind the pendant?" He nods. "So this was a trick?"

Inutaisho shakes his head. "No, this was not a trick. Kagome needs the necklace. You had your own burden to endure."

"I had… but I have not had a burden recently, you mean. You imply that I no longer belong there."

"It was more than an implication, Kikyo-san. Putting rationalizations aside, isn't it the truth? It must be hard for you to accept but people only have a certain time to spend in their lives. The dead are not meant to come back. The dead and the living should not coexist." Kikyo's eyes darken and flash. Inutaisho recognizes this. "You have heard that before, haven't you?"

"There was a monk that believed that I was a demon. I used his own weapon against him in order to get him to leave me alone. I had almost found a peaceful life in that village, but I was forced to leave. Still, I never could forget his accusations. The words echoed through my head as I walked along."

"Did it bother you because you knew it to be true?"

All of a sudden, Kikyo shows her inner conflict. "Oh, I don't know anymore. I'm just tired."

"You should be tired."

"I am. I am also ready to rest. I believe that the monk was correct. Whether he was right or not, my time here is ended."

Inutaisho bows to her in thanks. "Thank you, Kikyo-san. I knew that you would be reasonable and make the right choice."

Kikyo nods back to him before looking at Kagome. "I apologize for taking the pendant…. Kagome." Kagome's eyes snap open as she hears Kagome call her by her name for the first time. "Good luck to you and please take care of Inuyasha for me. He will need someone to subdue him. He does care for you; he wouldn't stop worrying about you when he left Nozomi's village with me. Also, please be with my little sister, Kaede. She was always there for me and she is getting older. Good luck with… your quest. I will watch over you." A slight grin crosses Kikyo's face. "If you don't complete your mission successfully, I'll come back and start shooting arrows at your head!" Kagome looks slightly alarmed. "It was a joke, Kagome. But you will do as I have asked, won't you?"

Kagome opens her mouth, but does not respond. Slowly she smiles as she sees the real Kikyo shine through the half-dead Kikyo. "Kikyo, I will do as you have asked. Thank you and good luck."

The barrier pops and Inuyasha can now see them and hear them. He does not immediately see a crying Kagome, who is still partially hidden by the mist. He can only see Kikyo. He looks around. "Kikyo, where are we? Did you get us lost in time?"

"No, Inuyasha. I am here to say goodbye. Through my anger and stupidity, I destroyed any possibility of remaining with you on Earth. I must return the land of the dead. There is no other choice."

Inuyasha's eyes open wide and he begins to feel afraid. "You can't go. What happened? Who did this to you? Whoever did, I swear that I will…"

She hushes him. "It's not important, Inuyasha. What is important is that it was my fault. I underestimated my knowledge and my purpose on Earth now. I'm sorry for the pain I've caused you and your friends. Please don't blame anyone for this; if anyone, please blame me. I do love you Inuyasha and I set you free. Please do not mourn me."

Inuyasha gives her a stubborn look as he tries to come to her. "Yeah right, Kikyo. You can do something about this. You don't have to go. I'll find a way to keep you…"

She holds up her hand to stop him from coming to hug her. "No, don't come nearer. Also, I don't want you to find a way to keep me here. I want to go. I'll miss you more than you can know, but I need to rest now, Inuyasha. Don't you understand? If you do love me, you will try to understand and to be happy for me."

Inuyasha has a heart-broken look on his face. "But that's not fair. Of course I love you, Kikyo. You just can't go."

"Yes I can and I must. Please forgive me for leaving you like this. I will always be with you, Inuyasha. Please believe that. Enjoy your life for both of us. I love you. Goodbye, dearest Inuyasha." A tear runs down her cheek as she begins to disappear.

Inuyasha runs towards her, only to find that she is already gone. He collapses in the spot and screams her name. He begins looking around in protest, assuring himself under his breath that she is still there, that she could not have left him. All he knows is that his love has left him and there was nothing that he can do about it. What makes it worse is he has no idea who to blame. It was then that he sees Kagome crying for both of them. He blinks for a moment. "Kagome, what are you…" He sees his father. "Father, you too? Why are you here?"

Inutaisho speaks gently. "Kikyo touched the pendant and lost her 'life', Inuyasha."

"But that does not make sense! It was just a stupid pendant made from the Goshinboku! I can't believe that!"

Kagome agrees. "But it's true, Inuyasha."

"What is that pendant, Kagome? How could you let her touch it, knowing what would happen to her? You allowed this to happen!"

Kagome shakes her head. "No, I didn't allow anything. Inuyasha, I didn't know."

Inutaisho steps between them. "She didn't know, Inuyasha. I knew and I warned Kikyo, but she would not listen to me. She acknowledged it at the end. She asked you not to blame anyone for her fate. Did you not hear her?"

Their appeals fall on deaf dog ears. Inuyasha no longer wishes to listen to them. Kagome's tears fall into nothingness as his rage increases. A white light shines from behind Inuyasha. He hears Kikyo's voice in his head. "It was my fault, Inuyasha. Do not blame them. Remember what I said." Then the white light speeds away and hits Kagome in the chest, causing her to fall into a light coma. Her body falls backwards and glistening tears still drip from her closed eyelids.

Inuyasha screams in protest as he realizes what has happened. He runs to Kagome's side and bawls. He closes his eyes in an attempt to calm himself. Then he looks down at Kagome and growls. "How could you, Kagome? You let this happen to me! I hate you! You selfish bitch, you just wanted your stupid soul back! Answer me, Kagome! Come on wench, what do you have to say?"

Inutaisho walks over and picks up his son. He comes between him and Kagome's unconscious body. "She's in a coma, Inuyasha. She can't hear you. Nor should she hear you. Those words are totally irrational and incorrect. I know that you are grieving, but you should not take out your frustrations on your young friend there. She has done nothing but cry for you and your loss. Don't you see the tears still wetting her cheeks? Those were for you and Kikyo. She had nothing to do with what happened. She tried to stop Kikyo. She had no idea. Blame me, but I warned Kikyo, who chose to ignore me."

Inuyasha glares at his father. "So she went back in time and you two conspired to kill Kikyo so that she wouldn't be in the way. Kagome only wanted the pendant that rightfully belonged to Kikyo in the first place. I see. It was all a set-up and you even brain-washed Kikyo somehow using the power of that necklace. You two are too much. You deserve to die for what you've done. I believe that I will…"

Inutaisho rolls his eyes. "I was afraid that you would take this badly, but I didn't know that it would make you this irrational. Time will show you the truth of the matter. You will heal and I hope that she can forgive you for this. I will take care of her, but I must insist that you go back to your rightful time. You will only upset her when she wakes up. Goodbye, my son. I pray that you will heal and see the truth."

Inuyasha disappears and Inutaisho picks up Kagome and takes her back to his home to take care of her. As he goes, he thinks to himself. _Poor Kagome, it will hard for her to endure Inuyasha's insults when she goes back. I don't know what I should do with her. I can't send her to that time and it is not yet time for her to return to Nozomi. But, she could go home to her family. Yes, going back to the future could give her some hope._

(break)

A few days later:

Kagome wakes up in a beautifully decorated room. As she opens her eyes, she recognizes it as the room that Inutaisho let her use the time that she and Inuyasha stayed there. Suddenly, the memories of a few days before rush through her mind. She holds her head in her hands as she realizes that Inuyasha blames her for the loss of Kikyo. She hears a door open and lifts her head.

Inutaisho comes in and sits down beside her. "How are you feeling, Kagome? You have slept for a few days, but the shock of getting the rest of your soul back and hearing those horrible words from Inuyasha caused you to fall into a coma. I knew that you would awaken. You look better."

"I feel fine, for the most part." She remains silent for a moment before sitting up and rubbing her head and then her stomach. "My head is killing me." She sees Inutaisho's sympathetic look and stops. "My stomach turns over when I think about Inuyasha and what he thinks about me now."

"You should have heard what he said after you fell into the coma. He thinks that we plotted to kill Kikyo when you came back to see me." Kagome covers her eyes with her hands. "But don't you worry, Kagome, I'll find a way to show him what really happened."

She lifts her head from her hands. "Is that possible?"

He nods. "Yes, it is." She stares straight ahead and he continues. "Remember that this was Kikyo's free choice. She wanted to be free and to do the right thing. She also chose to touch the pendant after hearing my warnings. Besides, now that she's gone, Inuyasha can truly mourn her passing. He is free to mourn and eventually, he will be free to love again too. He does care and now he must find that for himself."

Kagome thinks for a moment. "I cannot give up now. I'm in too deep. I have love and my mission. Eventually, he might love me. But I will make sure that Kikyo's sacrifice is not in vain. Remembering that, I can face the world and endure his blame until he sees the truth. I'm just not ready yet."

"I understand, Kagome. Good for you. I'm proud of you. You need not return to him yet. I have another idea. You should go home, to the future and get in touch with everyone who will fight with us in that time period. Besides, you miss your family, don't you? They will be happy to know that you will have work to do in your own time, won't they? Besides, some interesting surprises are waiting for you there."

"What kind of surprises, Inutaisho-sama?"

"You'll just have to wait and see, Kagome. First, get in touch with Sesshoumaru and he will be in touch with the others."

"How will I get in touch with Sesshoumaru?"

"Use your powers to search for him, Kagome."

She gives him a puzzled looks. "But I'm not that powerful, Inutaisho-sama."

"You can do it. Your powers will have increased now that you have the rest of your soul back."

Her lips form an o. "I understand. I will look forward to it, Inutaisho-sama. Thank you for your help."

He smirks. "Anytime. Literally."

She groans and shoos him out so that she can get ready to go.

(break)

That's the end of this chapter everyone! I know I'm looking forward to writing the next bit. This next chapter moves into the second phase of this story. The first phase set up the initial background and characters. In the next phase, the future plays a part and truths are discovered about Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru's hearts heal and become more open to love. Miroku and Sango will get some time alone, so some romance will be blooming there too. There may be a third phase, but I'm not sure how that will play out yet. Anyways, keep on reading!


	14. Start of Phase 2: Adding More to the Mix

I'm back! Sorry it took so long, everyone! I was in Florida and then classes began. Work is already beginning to pile up in this 8 week term, but regardless… here it is! It's not as long as I had hoped, but it works. I appreciate any and all comments made but since I need to go to bed now, I'm going to respond in more depth next time I update. Thanks again for reading, everyone!

Condition of the Souls: Phase 2

Chapter 14: Adding More to the Mix

"Analogies decide nothing that is true, but they can make one feel more at home." - Sigmund Freud

(break)

Kagome opens her eyes and finds herself standing in the middle of the courtyard at home. Instinctively, she looks around in front of her to be sure that no one saw her unusual arrival. Her heart jumps into her throat at she sees something colorful by the entrance stairs, but then she releases her tension when she realizes that the person that she saw was walking down the stairs and obviously had not noticed at all.

Suddenly, she feels pressure on her right shoulder. She sweatdrops, because she had neglected to check the area behind her for strangers. Slowly, she turns around to see a familiar, wrinkled face- the face of her grandfather. At first she startles, but then she begins yelling at him. "Jii-chan! Why did you scare me like that! I was afraid that someone would have seen me come back!"

Jii-chan is blown backwards by her accusations. He holds himself upright with his broom until her tirade ends. Sheepishly, he scratches his head. "Sheesh, I'm sorry, Kagome. I just wanted to greet you. You can't imagine how surprised I was to see you popping in the courtyard. You almost gave me a heart attack, girl." He smiles. "I must admit that I'm glad to see you. So how did you come back here without the well?"

She sighs. "It's a long story. I'll explain when Souta gets back from school so I only have to explain this once. Thank you for greeting me, but please excuse me, I'm going to go take a bath." She leaves him with his mouth hanging open. Reluctantly, he returns to sweeping.

(break)

That evening, Kagome sits down to dinner with her family. Her mother had made oden in honor of Kagome's return home, so after Kagome had finished obsessing and eating, they finally convinced her to tell her tale, minus the part about Inuyasha blaming her for what happened to Kikyo. Now the story is over and they sit in a moment of incredulous silence.

Kagome's mother is the first to speak. "Well, Kagome, you've had quite a journey. If we had not seen all that we have seen, I would be a bit skeptical, but I know that you are telling us the truth. Still, Kagome, I am a little jealous. I wish that I could go with you to help you."

Kagome smiles warmly at her mother, "Well, thank you."

Jii-chan joins in the fun. "I would love to show those youkai our power. I could give you some on-the-job training, Souta, and you too, Kagome." Kagome mutely nods as Souta practically launches out of his chair in excitement. In the back of her mind, Kagome sighs and feels relieved that nothing too horrible has occurred in this time period… yet. After all, she knows that her family lacks the training and would likely hinder her more than help her.

Kagome's mother notices that she's staring off into space and tries to bring her back into the conversation. "So what does Inuyasha think about all this?"

Kagome's eyes widen and she looks down at the table for a moment before carefully responding in a hopefully carefree manner. "Oh you know him- he's always ready to go fight and hopefully kill Naraku." They all nod. She opens her mouth, but doesn't say anything. Then, she manages to smile at all of them. "Thank you for listening. I'm tired and my mind is still spinning. May I please go for a walk?" They nod. She picks up her plate and washes it off before quietly slipping out the front door.

The sun hasn't completely set yet and so she walks to Goshinboku to look out over the city. Cars rumble past and a few people walk past on the street below. She looks up and sees a waxing crescent moon shining about 30 degrees above the horizon. Everything around her seems peaceful, but in her heart, she does not feel peaceful at all. Inside, she feels as if she is living in shock. Part of her is glad to be home, really at home in her own time. She relaxes until she hears rustling in the trees behind her.

She turns around to face the strange noise and discover what it is. Looking up at the trees, she smiles. "Souta, is that you up there trying to spy on me? Or are you trying to play a prank on me? Come on out and go inside! Mama will not be pleased that you are playing in trees at this hour of the evening. Shouldn't you be doing your homework?" She gets a bit frustrated. "Are you deaf? Souta!"

Souta pokes his head out of the door with an annoyed look on his face. "Sis, stop yelling already. I can hear you and I am in here. For your information, my homework is finished, not that it matters because it's Friday night. I won't mention how much homework that you need to do."

"Oh ok. Don't scare me like that, you little mutant! You know I graduated a few months ago!"

He laughs at her. "Oh I'm a little mutant, am I? I should share that insult with Mom… And just so you know, I mentioned the schoolwork to make sure that you don't get too stuck in the past!"

"Very funny!"

"Are you afraid of the dark now too, Kagome?"

She stomps her foot in aggravation. "Nooo… stop being obnoxious and just go play your video games!"

He sticks his tongue out at her. "Make me!" She stomps at him in a joking manner. He shrugs. "Just kidding. I was going in anyways because I'm at a critical point and I'm on pause. I don't want Jii-chan to try and do something to it. I haven't saved up to this point."

"You go save it. Good luck!" He salutes and closes the door. She looks up into the trees and sighs. "It must be the wind."

Then a young soprano voice replies. "There isn't much wind tonight, so that can't be the cause."

Another voice that's lower whispers, "There's always a little bit of wind, Miyoko. Besides, you just blew our cover." Then the speaker's tone becomes quite annoyed. "Now we have to reveal ourselves and apologize. You are always getting me into trouble!"

The young voice now known to belong to a young girl named Miyoko answers her friend. "We were being rude. It is unkind to watch someone without their knowledge."

"Doesn't stop you most of the time. You know what your father told you but you still decided to come on anyways. When will you grow up?"

Miyoko laughs. "When will you grow up? I am older than you are, so as your elder you should trust me."

"No way! You aren't my elder and you don't even act older so you don't deserve that respect."

Kagome laughs slightly at the exchange. "Excuse me, would you two please come down? I would like to meet you both very much."

Leaves fall to the ground from a short, but still old tree, and two children, who appear to be about 13, land on their feet in front of Kagome. The girl speaks first, just beating her male companion. "My name is Miyoko, but then you already know that. This crazy guy over here is my friend, Nobu." Her dark red hair blows in the breeze and her impish dark blue eyes peer from behind long bangs.

"I am pleased to meet you both. My name is Higurashi Kagome. The guy that I was fighting with was my younger brother, Souta. Are you too related?"

They look at each other. Nobu, with hair as black as midnight and eyes of golden-green hazel, answers this time. "No, we are not related, but our families have been friends for a long time."

"Oh I see," Kagome says. "You two fought like brother and sister, so I wasn't sure. So, why come watch our little shrine? Not that much happens around here."

Miyoko smiles. "I wouldn't say that." Nobu smacks his forehead.

Kagome feels slightly alarmed. After all, what had they seen? Suddenly becoming very serious, Kagome looks them both straight in the eye. "What have you seen here that is so interesting?"

Nobu looks at Miyoko with disgust. "Now we have to tell her. My father will not be happy with me. Your father will blame me for not keeping you in line. They will all blame me for what you have done, as usual. Your father asked us to make sure that things happened in their own time, baka!"

Miyoko shrugs off his concerns. "You worry too much. The time is right and I will make sure that my father will not blame anyone. He'll be so happy that we brought her with us! Come on, haven't you seen how his eyes lit up when he talked about how this day would come? It's time. Besides, this'll make it easier for her."

Nobu shakes his head. "You will be the death of me. You better calm down and stop being a pain or no one will ever mate you, betrothal or no betrothal!"

Miyoko shoots back, "Well you better stop being such a scaredy-cat if you're going to take your place as the first-born son!"

Kagome places a hand on each of the youth's shoulders to get their attention. "Excuse me- how do you know me and what on Earth are you talking about?" Then she feels a familiar feeling and looks down to see something that she was not ready to see.

(break)

Back at her parents' home, Miyoko laughs at how pale Kagome had been when the young miko could see through the young youkai's disguise. Miyoko continues, "Mom, you should've seen it! It was priceless!"

Her mother, Kaiya, sighs. "Yes, dear. I'm sure that it was funny, but you shouldn't have revealed yourselves at all, not yet." She turns to Kagome. "No offense, Kagome, but there was a rule not to contact you until you had contacted us. Unfortunately, Miyoko can be rash, but she does have the best of intentions, most of the time. We made the rule absolute, but her father told her the fuller reasoning and so she made up her own mind. They saw you pop in the middle of the courtyard and so she knew that it was time. I'm surprised that she waited as long as she did."

Miyoko pouts. "Mom, don't talk about me like I'm not here."

"Sorry dear, I just needed to explain the situation to Kagome here. Now please go be a good girl and finish setting the table for me."

"Is everyone going to be here?"

"Nobu's family and Kagome will be our only guests, as far as I know. Still, you never can tell these days."

"When will Dad get home? Is my brother coming back for the occasion?"

"I don't know when your father will get here, sweetie. You will see your brother in a few days. He's busy training with Kado- you know that."

Kagome jumps in. "Miyoko? When is it your turn to be trained?"

Miyoko sighs. "After my brother's done training… but my training will be less intensive, because I'm a girl."

Her mother pipes in. "Yes, but you have your other training, too, Mi."

Miyoko rolls her eyes and grumbles, "Training to cater to a pompous pain…"

"Mi, you are being rude. Kagome, please forgive her. She feels persecuted because she is betrothed to a kind, honorable youkai. Besides, your brother would be betrothed too… if there was someone…"

"But there isn't. Only I am so singularly blessed."

"I haven't heard you use that word before."

"I read it somewhere, so don't worry. It won't change my predicament!"

They all hear loud humming coming from outside the door. The door opens and the youkai of the house enters with his arms full of packages. He drops his human disguise and barrier with a sigh of relief. Then, he places the packages on a nearby table and takes off his coat. Still facing the door, he greets everyone. "Good evening, family… and Nobu. I trust you are all well." He sighs and stops for a moment. "Dear, there is a strange, but familiar scent in here. Did Mi do something crazy and take something from the shrine area?"

"Yes dear, she did, in a way. But it's more a case of something following her home."

The male youkai freezes in his routine. "You mean she's… it's time and true?" He turns around with glee. "Kagome? You're here?" A large kitsune charges at Kagome and she immediately identifies who it is. She can see his sparkling light blue eyes, unchanged by age. His clothes are larger and more modern, but all in all, there is no mistaking it.

"Shippo-ch, err, Shippo! It's so wonderful to see you! Inutaisho-sama mentioned that there would be surprises waiting for me. I guess this is part of it, huh?"

He nods and smiles. Miyoko looks on with glee in her green eyes. "Yes, that is so and there's more to tell you than you could imagine."

Kagome sighs as she realizes that her mind is about to expand with new knowledge once more. "Alright, try me. Let's hear it."

A large amount of noise comes from behind the door and Shippo sighs. "I wish that they could have been late as usual. I could have explained a little bit more. Oh, I apologize Kagome, but this home is about to become chaotic."

"Why?"

"Nobu's family is here."

(break)

Name meanings for new names- Miyoko- beautiful generations child, Nobu- expansion or truth, Kaiya- forgiveness, Kado- gateway

Ok, so I am on a roll. The next part will be crazy to write, but it'll be fun. I'll remind everyone of the character list and I'll add to it so that everyone can keep all the characters straight… Thanks everyone! You are all the best!


	15. The Ties that Bind

Ok I'm back and I truly apologize that it has been so long! Classes overwhelmed me and then I was sick and now I'm sick again. Oh well- what can you do? Review responses at the end!

You know I forget to tell everyone something interesting that happened to me over Christmas Break. I went to Orlando with my family- especially my two nephews (kawaii!). I was walking around Epcot when I saw a guy who had very long, straight, white hair. He was in his upper 20s or early 30s I thought. It was so weird. It was not a dream because I don't dream in anime and my family saw it too. My jaw seriously dropped. I thought I'd share.

**Important note**: To keep characters straight, I have posted a basic list of my characters on my webpage if you go to written works and scroll down a bit. There is a link on my author page, but they won't let me post an address.

Condition of the Souls: Phase 2

Chapter 15: The Ties That Bind

"I live for those who love me,

Whose hearts are kind and true;

For the Heaven that smiles above me,

And awaits my spirit too;

For all human ties that bind me,

For the task by God assigned me,

For the bright hopes yet to find me,

And the good that I can do." - George Linnaeus Banks

(break)

Kagome's eyes widen as she sees the defeated smile on Shippo's face. She delicately turns to face Nobu, who is helping Miyoko set the table. "Nobu," she asks, "is your family very large?"

He shuffles his feet and nervously pushes a plate around on the table. "Well, not too large..."

Miyoko sees his reaction and laughs hysterically. She adds with a wink, "The family is not huge but they are always loud, even by human standards!" She mockingly covers her ears with her hands and makes a horrible face.

Kaiya, who had been going to the kitchen, turns around and shakes her head at Miyoko. "Mi, stop teasing Nobu. If you don't, you'll hear from me." The older kitsune raises her eyebrow and looks her daughter in the eye. Mi glares for a moment before backing down. Kaiya's face and posture lighten. "Thank you, Mi. Besides, I know how much you like Nobu's family, as we all do." Mi nods and goes to finish setting the table.

Kaiya's green eyes light up when she sees five people walk proudly into the room. Leading the way, Sorano, the eldest female with silvery white hair pulled back in a modest bun, intrepidly walks up to Kaiya and embraces her in a surprisingly strong hug. The older woman is obviously in wonderful physical shape and the gleam in her warm, chocolate brown eyes indicates that her mental faculties are as sharp as ever.

Kaiya smiles warmly. "Welcome, Sorano-san. We are so pleased that you and your family could join us for dinner."

Sorano's smile warms further. "I am also pleased to be here, Kaiya-san. Thank you for your gracious invitation."

The man walks up behind her and whispers loudly in her ear. "Mother, you don't have to be so formal with them. We all get together so frequently…"

Sorano's smile fades as she turns to face her grown-up son, who has hair as black as midnight and eyes the color of caramel. His hair is cut short, with medium length bangs hanging over his forehead. A few mischievous locks of hair manage to stick out, making him look younger than he is. Sorano tries to brush down the unruly hair, but fails. She looks him in the eye. "Taro, you were my first born and I love you, but you need to learn more respect and humility. Even your hair refuses to be tamed."

Taro sweatdrops. "Mother, we have this conversation almost every day."

Sorano's voice becomes louder. "Yet somehow you still fail to listen."

Michi, Taro's wife, steps between the two. "Mother, I apologize for his behavior, but please let us not spoil this evening. May we continue this discussion at home?" She pulls her shoulder length golden brown hair over one shoulder nervously and casts her dark blue eyes down at her feet in a humble bow.

Sorano turns back to Taro. "At least your wife can shown proper respect, so that your children might not be as unruly as you are."

He asks, "Don't you mean were instead of are, Mother?"

She shoots him a look, but luckily 6 year old Jiro walks up to his grandmother and hugs her leg. "Gramma, do not be mad at Dad, please." His deep blue eyes and dark brown hair suit his pale face as he looks up at her in a picture of complete innocence.

Sorano smiles at Jiro and picks him up. She glares at her son for a moment longer before playing with a delighted Jiro.

Jiro's 9 year old sister, Hana, watches the entire familial display with obvious curiosity. Her caramel eyes that she got from her father match the golden hair that she inherited from her mother. Her eyes shine with momentary mirth as she tries to be very mature. Then a silly smile lights her face as she spots her friend, Miyoko. After the disagreement ends, she streaks to the table to talk to Mi. Breathlessly and excitedly, she gushes, "Mi! It's so good to see you! Tell me _everything_ that has been happening in your life!"

Mi's smile is genuine, but her eyes reveal a bit of annoyance at babysitting the younger girl. For a moment her shoulders slump, but then she sees Kagome watching the reunion from the sidelines. Mi's eyes light up in mischief as she turns to her younger friend. "Well, nothing much is happening I suppose. Of course you know my brother is off training with Kado." Hana nods intently and Mi smiles, beckoning secretively. "Guess who I met today?"

Shippo's excellent hearing picks up upon the conversation and decides that he needs to introduce Kagome before the uproar at the appearance of the miko of legend begins. He arrives at Kagome's side in half an instant and gestures to get everyone's attention. "Everyone! Please welcome to our table, the infamous Higurashi Kagome!" At this, Kagome turns bright red as everyone's eyes glue themselves to her.

Suddenly feeling rather self-conscious, she waves. "Greetings, everyone. Thank you for having me." She bows and when she looks up, Sorano is examining her. "I am pleased to make your acquaintance, madam."

Sorano evidently finds what she is searching for in Kagome's face. She smiles and embraces the girl with a hug. "No, dear, it is I who is honored to meet you. After all the stories that Shippo has spun over the years, it is wonderful to discover that at least most of his stories are true."

Kagome smiles. "I cannot say exactly what he has told you, but I can reassure you that at least some of the unbelievable sounding things are indeed true." She pauses for a moment. In that instant, Kagome's stomach quietly rumbles and she turns slightly red.

Shippo intercedes. "Sorano, may we continue this at the table? I am sure that Kagome is starving, as are the rest of us." The youkai smile wider, as they had heard Kagome's stomach protest. Still, they remain quiet.

Sorano nods. "That would be acceptable. Let us eat."

(break)

After dinner, they sit around and drink tea. The kids are for once interested in the adult's conversations, so they do not wreak havoc around the house. Shippo looks gently at Kagome. "Kagome, there's something that you need to know, if you have not already figured it out. Sorano and her family are Miroku and Sango's descendents."

Kagome nods, as she had begun to suspect when the family did not hide their youkai forms around the family. "I did wonder."

Sorano sighs. "My dearly departed husband's family was a more direct line than mine, but both of our families are branches of their family. However, his family is the most direct line still in existence, so they kept in close contact with Shippo and Sesshoumaru. Both of these noble youkai," She slightly bows her head to Shippo before continuing, "have graciously taught us about our ancestors and our heritage in addition to protecting us."

Kagome asks, "What about the other branches of the family?"

"They may know bits and pieces, but most of them don't believe it. We see them on holidays and sometimes on other occasions, but we are not as close, because they think that we need CAT scans. Distant cousins have sometimes intermarried and if they marry into this part of the family, as I did, they become keenly aware that the stories are true. I remember my parents telling me the tales, but laughing at the end as if it was a family joke. It's their loss and I feel privileged to know the truth. After all, seeing Shippo, Sesshoumaru and you completely validates the story."

Kagome smiles. "It's strange to hear you talk about it as if the story was finished when to me, it's still current. I guess that's the time-traveler's curse, neh?"

Shippo sighs and smiles as he looks deliberately into Kagome's eyes. "We shall see, don't you think?"

Kagome looks at him in surprise. "We, Shippo?"

"Yes, I did mean we, Kagome." He runs his fingers through his hair. "How do I say this? I have not yet been back in time. When I asked if I could go with you, Goshinboku told me that I could not help you back in the Sengoku Jidai. Remember how he mentioned that you had to be mature? At that time, I was not yet mature in my skills or my body as I am now. Although I do not know my part in the coming battle, Goshinboku told me that I would at least once go to the time of the four souls with you and meet my counterpart, Kane. I named my son in his honor."

Kagome's mouth is wide open in shock, but to her credit, she recovers. "So where is your son?"

"He's training with Kado, Sesshoumaru's son. Kane is also Mi's fraternal twin. She was born first. Trust me, she'll never allow any of us to forget it."

Kagome is busy processing the first parts of Shippo's story. "Sesshoumaru has a son? But… how can that be when he did not take a mate? He did not seem to place much importance on continuing the family line." Her mind drifts to the impassive youkai that she has known. Then, her mind remembers the concern and happiness of a certain white-haired youkai child. "He hates weakness and I would imagine that he would see having a family or love as a form of ultimate weakness."

Shippo nods. "I understand. It was a tough road for him to walk, but I know that he believes that the struggle was worth what he gained. Still, it is not my story to tell and even if it was, I could not tell you. It is too relevant to the 'current' past."

Kagome nods and racks her brain for another question. "Why don't you train Kane yourself?"

"I do, but there are things that Kado and Sesshoumaru can teach him better than I can. Besides, we are not as affluent as Sesshoumaru and Kado. I actually have to work."

Miyoko sighs and Kagome looks at her. "Mi-chan, you miss Kane, don't you?"

"Yes I do, Kagome-san. I wish I could train with him instead of learning to be the human stereotype of a perfect wife."

Kaiya jumps in. "Mi, dear, not this conversation again! Kin is a wonderful youkai; you are very lucky!"

Miyoko's voice burns as if it is acid. "Well I would not know that, now would I? Just because he'll be the eastern taiyoukai doesn't make him wonderful, Mother!"

Kagome gasps and looks to Shippo for explanation. He nods and explains, "My family was closely related to the Eastern ruling family and his father sought us when they heard that we had a daughter. The marriage was arranged. That is the way that it is generally done."

Miyoko growls. "Your marriage wasn't, father!"

"No, it wasn't because I was not lucky enough to have living parents to make the plans for me!" He calms his voice. "I was simply lucky to meet your mother and have her not turn me away." He gently pats Kaiya's leg. He looks at Miyoko again. "The day that you and Kin will meet draws nearer. What is it now? A few weeks away? You must be nervous, Mi. It will all work out for the best. Please trust your old dad, alright?" Mi nods and silently goes off to bed. Shippo turns back to Kagome. "Any more questions, Kagome?"

"What about Kirara? What happened to her?"

Shippo sighs. "She's alive, but is on vacation. Her mate recently passed away in a car accident. She has a humanoid form that she was unable to take before, but it was necessary in this day and age. Believe it or not, there are youkai scientists working to make the lives of youkai easier in a world that either believes that they are monsters or that they simply do not and have never existed."

"What has happened to all the youkai? I always wondered why I never saw any."

"Obviously, we are around and live normal lives. Some are rich and some are not so rich. None that I know of could be classified as poor. As humans changed, we had to go into hiding. Their weapons' technology increased with their prejudice against us. The prejudice led to overt discrimination and now after so many years, denial. But humans will be humans, no offense meant towards you, Kagome or any of the rest of you." The humans nod.

After a split-second, Kagome laughs. "No offense taken, Shippo. I understand and sometimes share the sentiment!"

(break)

Review Ok no one reviewed this chapter specifically, but thanks to Angelstars for reassuring me. You're the best!

Mediaminer-

K005, Shawna and iire- thanks for the reviews. Iire, I disagree when you say it's OOC and most changes I feel I can attribute to age differences between the anime and my story. Glad you enjoyed it regardless.

**Appendix:**

**Name meanings**-

Kaiya- forgiveness, son- Kane and Miyoko- beautiful generations child,

Kado- gateway,

Sorano- of the sky, Taro- first born male, Michi- righteous, Nobu- expansion or truth, youngest Jiro- second son, and Hana- Jap-flower, blossom; Hebrew- flower, graceful, merciful

Kin- golden

**Ages** (3.333333 human years per youkai year)

Kado- (60)18

Miyoko and Kane (43.333- fraternal) and Nobu- 13

Souta- about 12

Hana- 9

Jiro- 6

That's it for now and I will be back as soon as I can, everyone! Please review!

AngelStars- Thanks for reviewing. I totally understand. I have not been the best about reviewing lately, nor have I been very good at simply updating, so I apologize for that.

SetsunaFanGirl- Thank you for warning me about the couple of case pronoun errors. You could not have known, but originally, the first 5 chapters were written from Kagome's pov, not the omniscient author pov, so when I changed it to be more accurate, I went back first, I fixed everything. Then, my computer's hard drive failed, so I had to do it again and I unfortunately was not as through as I was the first time (subsequent times have been even harder). That's why I need to know about those typos. But when it comes to italics, those are internal thoughts and thus are always subjective. I put a large author's note to explain that. Also, I had no beta and so errors will almost always occur. I hope that you can understand that. Thank you for telling me.


	16. Something to Hope for

Hey, I'm back. I guess some of you want an answer and an apology for taking so long. I am sorry and here's my explanation. I had some doubts about whether I could write this fic knowing that I disagree with some of the main things that the show is based on. I do not want to promote magic, Shintoism, Buddhism, the concept of reincarnation or anything in the New Age movement. I am a Christian- one who was bought by the blood of Jesus Christ. I do believe that surrendering myself, repenting of my sins and acknowledging Him as Lord and Savior is the only way to go to heaven. Now, _I say that not to turn this into a religious debate_, but to simply have the disclaimer. I was unsure about whether I could write it, even if it does not glorify those things. But, I have said ok and will continue to write this story. Thanks to all who read and/or reviewed! I greatly appreciate your comments and support. On with the fic!

Phase 2

Chapter 16: Something to Hope for

"Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for." - Joseph Addison

(break)

Kagome reflects upon the interesting evening as her mind spins in almost disbelief. A quirky smile appears upon her lips as she lounges back on her bed and thinks about the families of her old friends. Still, it is late and sleep overtakes her quickly.

When she wakes up, she knows that it is time to go back to the Sengoku Jidai and face Inuyasha. As the thought of him comes to her, she cannot help but remember what occurred in Equilibrium. Her mind flicks back to his heart-broken cry when Kikyo disappeared just beyond his reach. Back then, the reverberations of his pain-stricken voice shook her as she knew that her love was in so much pain and there was nothing that she could do to ease the pang of his grief. _I wanted to comfort him and let him know that I would be there for him. I hate to see him in so much pain. Kikyo was put to rest and wished me the best… and yet it is not over, not yet._

She sighs and turns over on her side. _I can't blame him for thinking that it was my fault. In a way, that is all that he could see. He didn't see the entire story and in his grief, he went back to his protective anger. That state was easier than accepting defeat- her death. His eyes narrowed as he accused me of such treachery. The yellow irises became incredibly cold and then… I remember light rushing into me and waking up at Inutaisho's._

_Oh Inuyasha! I grieve with you, dear friend and love. I hope that you will understand. Oh God, help me to face him and endure his charges and anger. Help me to bear this burden, God. Help me to show him the truth about what happened and to forgive me and himself and finally move on. Give me the courage, Lord._ Suddenly, a renewed sense of purpose and hope fills her heart and she raises her grateful eyes to heaven in gratitude.

After taking a shower, packing and eating a delicious breakfast with her family, Kagome grabs her heavy backpack and walks in the direction of the well house. She feels a couple of acorns come down from above. Reflexively, she looks up and smiles as she recognizes the culprits. After a quick glance around the courtyard to confirm that no one but she and her family are there, she beckons for the kitsune youkai to come down. Miyoko and Shippo land gently and quickly on the sun-warmed concrete.

Shippo smiles at her gently. "Hello, stranger. We've come to see you off on your journey."

Kagome smiles, but takes her heavy bag off before answering. "Good morning. Thank you for coming to see me. It was wonderful to spend time with you and everyone yesterday. You were very kind to have me over for dinner."

Shippo raises his eyebrow and stifles a laugh. "Well, after all the times that you brought me dinner and candy in the past, I'd say that we are nowhere near even on that. Besides, it is such a pleasure to have you in our home." His face takes a whimsical look. "I really missed you, you know. It was very difficult not to come here and be with you from the moment that you were born. You do understand why I could not tell you until yesterday, don't you?"

She nods. "Yes, I think that I do understand, Shippo. It's not a big deal. I was ignorant most of the time anyways. I didn't even know that you existed yet."

Shippo's smile dims considerably at this comment, but he nods. "Yes, I know. The thought that you wouldn't know me yet was also depressing." To break the melancholy mood, he gets a sneaky idea and pastes an appropriate sneaky grin on his face. "You know, I got to watch you grow up instead of the other way around. I saw you making a fool of yourself and being generally obnoxious. My favorite was the time when you were two and you thought that running around the shrine naked was an acceptable thing. You kept stripping off your clothes and giggling uncontrollably as your mother chased your around the courtyard. I was hidden and was trying not to fall out of my hiding place or laugh so hard that you would hear me." Miyoko's face holds a devilish smirk as she looks at the miko.

Kagome turns bright red and narrows her eyes at Shippo. "Shippo!" She growls under her breath. "You are so dead if you ever tell anyone that! You too, Miyoko. I'll find a way to construct another of Inuyasha's necklaces especially for you two and discipline you fairly."

Shippo smiles good-naturedly. "Maybe I would deserve it. I didn't watch over you to learn all your most embarrassing moments, although I did see some… I actually protected you from youkai who wanted to hurt you and your family, especially when they sensed your powers and perhaps the Shikon no Tama inside you. I wanted to make sure that you were safe. In the Sengoku Jidai, you were like my mother. Watching you grow from an inquisitive, stubborn child to a lovely, young woman has brought me great joy, although the fatherly feelings confused me at first. But, we already had some troublesome children, so I recognized the feeling." He reaches over and puts an arm around Miyoko.

Miyoko pulls away in indignation. "Troublesome, Dad? Sheesh, I bet that you were troublesome too." Exasperated, she sighs and shakes her head. Then, she looks up at Kagome and grins. "Dad, I bet that Kagome will have stories to embarrass you and I can't wait to hear them. Then I'll have some more ammunition in my artillery." She sticks her tongue out at her father and crosses her arms over her chest.

Shippo and Kagome look at each other and then Miyoko before bursting out laughing at the young youkai's outburst. Their laughter piques the interest of Kagome's family as they come outside to see what the commotion is. Kagome's mother, followed closely by the two males, slide open the door to see who the company is. Immediately, the three of them come out, as they see two red-haired humans, as the kitsunes are hiding their youkai attributes. Kagome sighs at this, since she just got the courage to go back and face Inuyasha. She brightens inwardly knowing that at least her family knows the basic story.

Kagome beckons to her family. "Mama, Souta, Jii-chan! Come here and I'll introduce you to some special friends of mine. This is Shippo and his daughter, Miyoko."

Kagome's mother gasps in excitement. "You mean to tell me that this is your little cuddly friend from the past?" She appraises him quickly. "He doesn't look little or cuddly to me. He looks human."

Kagome nods. "Yes, they look human, but they are kitsune youkai." Jii-chan was about to pull something out of a pocket. Kagome glares at him. "Jii-chan! These are my friends and although they are youkai, they will not hurt you. So don't you dare try and vanquish them!" The older man scowls, but obeys his grandchild's request.

Souta smiles happily. "Hey! So you're another friend of Inu-no-nii-chan? That's so cool! What do you look like when you are not hiding your appearance? Do you have fuzzy ears? Can I see?"

Shippo laughs. "No, I'm youkai, not a hanyou like Inuyasha. I do have a red bushy tail though. So does Miyoko here, although hers is much more becoming if you ask me."

Miyoko frowns. "Dad! Stop that!"

Kagome's mother laughs. "I guess some things are just universal across species. Teenagers will be teenagers." Shippo nods and heartily laughs.

Both Kagome and Miyoko exclaim "Mom" and "Dad" respectively at this comment. Then, they shake it off. Kagome informs her family that Shippo is from the present time, not the past and that is why he is older and has children.

Kagome's grandfather looks around warily. "You mean there are youkai walking around the city right now? Lots of them?"

Shippo replies, "Well, there are a fair amount of youkai roaming around, but we keep to ourselves and live normal lives. People have no idea that we are youkai and it works well enough that way. Those who could not adapt to the changing times have, for the most part, passed on and it makes things easier on the remaining members of both species."

"That's true." Jii-chan nods solemnly, but still looks a little perturbed.

Souta, however, looks incredibly intrigued. "So there are many youkai running around? Can I meet some? Please? I'll be very good. Can I go Mama; can I?"

Kagome's mom looks doubtful, but Shippo nods his head that he will answer the question. "Souta, not all youkai like humans. Some are angry that they must hide who and what they are. How about this for a deal? I will introduce you to my family and some of my youkai friends. You still need to be careful in dealing with youkai. Do you understand?" Souta nods. "Good."

A brief moment of silence passes and Kagome takes it. "Um, this is wonderful and all, but I need to get back to the past now, ok?"

Shippo nods. "That's right. Time to get back. You know, I'd give you a hug, but I think it would freak everyone out and reveal some of the future that they cannot know."

"I know, Shippo and don't worry- I will weigh my words carefully. I won't tell them about your future."

Miyoko smiles at her new friend. "I probably shouldn't hug you either for the same reason. Do be careful and take care of my dad. Keep him out of trouble." Shippo scowls at that comment for a moment.

Kagome warmly smiles. "You can count on it." Her family waves her goodbye, but as she heads towards the well, Shippo stops her.

"Kagome, why are you going towards the well? What about the pendant?"

Kagome sweatdrops. "Right. I knew that." She turns around and walks to Goshinboku in order to get the rest of the spell. Her family and Miyoko have never seen her talk to the tree or travel through time that way, so they stare at her in awe. Hearing about it is not the same as seeing. Seeing is believing, so they say. So with help from the tree, she disappears in a flash of light and appears in front of the tree in the Sengoku Jidai.

The first thing that she does is straighten herself and prepare herself for whatever may come. She hears a couple of people yelling and running through the woods. She can hear Miroku and Sango calling out to Shippo. "Shippo, she's probably not back yet!"

Shippo, being in the lead, reaches Kagome and leaps into her arms without a thought. "Kagome! I missed you so much. I kept wondering when you would get here. You were gone so long. Inuyasha came back without you and then he disappeared again and came back again, but you weren't with him. I figured that you had a test or something, because he sure was grumbling about you the second time that he came back."

Kagome smiles at her friend. "I missed you too, Shippo. I wish that I could explain everything that's happened quickly, but I fear that it is rather complicated."

At this point, Miroku and Sango catch up with Shippo. They both call out to Kagome and run towards her. Miroku helps Kagome with her bag and almost stops to investigate her rear, but she glares at him and drops her heavy bag on his twitching hand before he has a chance to exhibit lecherous behavior. He sighs and picks up the bag as Sango engulfs Kagome in a hug. "We were so worried about you. We had no idea if something happened to you. Inuyasha came back a couple of times without you. After his most recent appearance, he's been more obnoxious and rude than usual. He seems pretty angry with you…"

Kagome lowers her head. "Yes, I know that and I will explain. I must say that he doesn't know the whole story about what happened and got confused."

Sango grumbles, "There's a surprise."

Miroku nods his head. "That's true. It's not new; it's just taken to a new level."

"Guys, I can't completely blame him for it. It's just… oh I'll explain everything soon. Let's get back."

Miroku agrees. "Yes, let's go. I want to put down this bag as soon as possible."

On the way back, Kagome tells them about Nozomi and what she learned and the pendant. She told them about Inuyasha leaving with Kikyo and how she went back to Inutaisho's instead of coming back here. Next, she told them about Kikyo, the pendant, Equilibrium and Inuyasha. By the time she was done outlining her time away, they had been back in the village for more than a little while. When Kagome was done telling them, she goes to find Kaede, but finds Sesshoumaru instead. He is looking out the window and does not acknowledge her presence until he says, "She is out delivering a baby."

Kagome looks at him. "Hello, Sesshoumaru. How are you? Thank you for telling me where Kaede is."

"It saves time to tell you than for you to go through all your pathetic human greeting rituals."

Seeing Sesshoumaru made Kagome think for a moment. She feels as if there is something that she has to tell him, but for the moment, she cannot remember. She walks through what happened to her since she left to see Nozomi. Then it came rushing back and she feels as if Nozomi is in the room with her, repeating the conversation with her:

_"I saw enough to understand your feelings and to be sure that this Sesshoumaru is the one to whom the message belongs. So tell him the following: Everything is not as it seems. The more that you fight, the more that you become entangled in the fabricated web of pain and hatred."_

_ "Wait- what does that…"_

_Nozomi cuts her off. "Please just tell him. All will become apparent with time."_

_ "How did you know?"_

_ "I know that it's essential to completing our mission."_

Kagome sighs with resignation. _Ok, Nozomi, I'll deliver your message, but I hope that he won't hurt the messenger!_ "Sesshoumaru, when I was back in the far past, my counterpart Nozomi gave me a message for you. She told me to tell the Lord of the Western Lands- and I know that she means you- the following: Everything is not as it seems. The more that you fight, the more that you become entangled in the fabricated web of pain and hatred. She also said that it is important for our mission. I've delivered the message and please remember that I am merely passing the thought along."

Sesshoumaru keeps his cool, but inwardly feels annoyed that this person, this human, who lives so far in the past, has an opinion on how he should live his life. First he must endure trials from his deceased father and now this nonsense. He nods, but does not openly acknowledge the message more than that. Kagome backs off, feeling relieved that he did not get angry at her. Still, she gets a feeling that Sesshoumaru will consider the message more than it appeared a moment ago. She walks out of Kaede's hut and goes to find her friends and to face Inuyasha.

Sango finds her first. "Hey girl, how are you holding up after everything that happened?" The beautiful taijiya leads her out away from where everyone can hear.

"I'm alright; I guess. Inuyasha's been upset with me before."

"He always forgave you before, too. He will this time too; you'll see."

"I don't know if it's as simple as that. Kikyo is really gone this time. She won't be coming back."

"But she was trying to tell him not to blame you for it!"

"You know Inuyasha and his selective hearing and selective memory. Besides, he was in a state of shock and grief. His natural reflex is to reach out with anger and it was easy to point that towards me."

Sango almost whispers, "Do you think he'll understand with time? Do you think that he will see the truth?"

Kagome sighs. "I hope so. I dearly hope so. It was Kikyo's wish as well, so maybe that will help. We shall see." Kagome looks down at the sapphire ring on her right hand and plays with it. "All I can do now is hope for the future."

Sango places her hand on top of her friend's and looks in her eyes. "I have hope, too."

Kagome lightly smiles. "And that may be enough."

(break)

Random note- you know the definition of species is a group that can interbreed and create viable offspring? I knew that before but was reminded while taking biopsych. According to this definition, humans and youkai would actually be two different parts of one species, because hanyou are obviously viable offspring. I could write the story this way and I know how to do it, but it'd be too confusing.

Anyways, enough for the random notes and disclaimers in this chapter… I'll be back soon (I mean it this time.) with Chapter 17: Many Waters!


	17. Many Waters

Here's a funny note to share: My cousin, who is a lawyer, could not attend her office Halloween party (she was at a conference), so she e-mails everyone in her firm that she is going as a weapon of mass destruction and that they'll never find her! She won second place in the costume contest. Hehe I just needed to share that.

Also, about my disclaimer from the last chapter- that does not mean that I will change the way I have been writing the story. I was Christian before, but it just began to grate on me more. I just wanted to clarify that just in case.

Phase 2

Chapter 17: Many Waters

"Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it." SoS 8:7, ESV

"Beaucoup d'eaux ne peuvent éteindre l'amour, et des fleuves ne le submergent pas." SoS 8:7, FDB

(break)

While Kagome makes her visiting rounds to greet everyone, Inuyasha sits in a tree further from the village than his favorite arboreal perch. Ever since Kikyo disappeared, he has not wanted to be too close to the village, because he knew that Kagome would come back and he would have to face her. His emotions concerning the beautiful young woman from the future were already complicated. After what he perceived while inside Equilibrium, those feelings became increasingly complex.

Part of him is as angry as he was the moment that Kikyo disappeared and Kagome's soul returned to her body. Another part of him vaguely remembers Kikyo's request about not blaming Kagome, but that part of him is too logical to be heard in the emotional cacophony of his consciousness. Also, he misses Kagome and is partially worried about her, because she has not come back from whenever she is. Of course, he won't admit that to himself.

So, in the late morning sun, he perches in the highest strong branch of the tree. The base of the tree is marked with fresh claw marks that he created in a moment of anger, frustration and grief. He sits, listening to the sounds of the forest around him, and tries to calm down. Just the moment that he is able to feel more peaceful, a distant waft of scent drifts into his sensitive nostrils. Immediately, the previous conundrum comes back to him full blast. Under his breath, he tries to contain a snarling growl.

_Kagome, so you're back, are you? Are you back for the reckoning? You have something to answer for, wench. This was completely your fault! You were always against my relationship with Kikyo; you never could understand the bond that connected us. You were always saying that infuriating word, especially after you knew that I had spent some time with Kikyo. You were jealous that I was with her and not with you, when I was with you all the time!_ Suddenly, he realizes what he's thinking, because for her to be jealous, she would have to feel something for him. _Ok, maybe not jealous, but simply possessive of me. Well, I'll show that human a thing or two. I make my own decisions._ With that thought, he leaps off in the direction of the village to see Kagome.

Kagome and Sango have just finished their girl-talk session when they decide to go find Miroku and Shippo to make plans. As they pass the center of the town, Kagome stops and shivers for a moment. Sango looks back at her with concern shining in her warm eyes. "What's wrong, Kagome-chan?"

Kagome shakes her head. "I don't know. I just have a bad feeling for some reason. I felt a chill brush across the back of my neck, as if something was going to happen. Something bad." The young woman from the future looks around for a moment.

Sango pulls Kagome along with her. "I understand, Kagome-chan. You're probably just concerned about seeing you-know-who. Just remember to have hope, alright?"

Kagome almost laughs at that comment. "Yes, I will, Sango-chan. I also have hope for you and a certain lecherous friend of ours…" Kagome changes the subject, because she doesn't want to talk about Inuyasha anymore, in case it makes her more nervous.

Sango blushes scarlet and puts her hand to her cheek for a split-second before turning her head away. "Oh Kagome-chan, how could you? There's nothing going on between us! I can only have hope that he'll keep his hands to himself before I break his hand off. That would fix the problem with his Kazanna."

Kagome gently chuckles. "You don't change, do you? You haven't forgotten how he proposed and you accepted?"

Sango stops and turns to her friend in surprise, but looks around and whispers so that no one can hear. "How did you hear about that?"

"Well, I was kinda nearby and could not help but see…"

Sango puts her hands on her hips. "Oh, I get the picture now. You were spying on us! I should have known that nothing would go right in regards to that."

"You guys spy on Inuyasha and I when we fight all the time! Besides, you are changing the subject!" Kagome lowers her voice a bit. "You accepted and you said that you'd bear his child!"

"Yeah, so? He didn't say that he wouldn't cheat and that would be necessary for me to actually go through with it!"

"So you do love him, don't you?"

Sango doesn't respond immediately, but the way that her face turns bright red speaks for her. After a moment, she decides to answer. "Well, yes, I think I do."

"That is so wonderful! I knew it!"

"Not that it seems to do any good, Kagome-chan! We are always, always fighting and… he keeps hitting on everyone he sees."

"Not as much as he hits on you and besides, he has stopped doing it as much. You give him some time and I bet that he could be faithful. He wasn't raised that way. Old habits die hard, right?"

Sango laughs. "Yes, that is true. So do you think that there might be something to hope for there?"

Kagome whispers back, "Oh you bet I do. Besides, you two will be spending more and more time without Inuyasha and I hanging around. Sesshoumaru will be there, but he won't get in the way. He would rather not socialize too much with humans anyways. I can see it now. You two will sit around a campfire while Rin and Shippo torture Jaken somewhere. You will watch the sunset together, completely alone."

Sango turns redder. "Oh come on, Kagome-chan. Stop. I don't want him to…"

All of a sudden, Shippo runs out of the bushes. "Hush! He's coming. He saw you two talking and he wanted to hear…"

A nearby bush rustles. A moment later, Miroku is pushed out by Kirara. He looks sheepishly up at them and smiles. "Greetings, ladies."

Kagome looks at Shippo. "How much?" Shippo shakes his head to indicate that the monk had not heard anything important.

Sango's blush has not disappeared, but now she turns to the monk. "Houshi-sama! You were spying on us!"

"Yeah, but I didn't hear anything," he laments, rubbing his posterior. Kirara nods in quiet affirmation and growls softly to rebuke him.

Kagome places her hand on Sango's shoulder. "Guys, you can't live with them and you can't live without them."

Sango's eyes twinkle in response, but she does not respond verbally.

Miroku looks at both of them. "What is that supposed to mean, Kagome-sama? It must be some expression from the future- no wonder it doesn't make sense." Kagome and Sango sigh, realizing that he simply did not want to understand. Miroku changes the subject. "Well, it's time for lunch, if I could so tempt you both to join me?" They shrug and follow him with Shippo and Kirara close on their heels.

At this moment, Kagome thinks about Inuyasha and remembers how things have changed over the years. Their relationship has grown and he is more openly caring towards her and more supportive in general. He has not admitted how he feels or how she fits into his life compared to Kikyo, but he takes care of her and watches over her. He said that he would and he said that he would help her finish her quest. His words come back to her from the beginning of the trip and she remembers the warmth of his hands as they completely encompassed her own. She hears his reassurances in her head.

_"Kagome, I'll be there right beside you, to give you strength and to protect you. We can do this together. We all have faith in you and your abilities."_ Kagome sighs to herself and hopes that he will still have enough faith in her to listen and to give her the benefit of the doubt.

Miroku looks at her and remarks, "He can't be that stubborn forever, Kagome-sama." Kagome turns to smile at him, but freezes in place when she notices someone familiar about to land in front of their entourage.

Inuyasha lands gracefully and glares icily at Kagome. His focus remains solely on her; he does not acknowledge the presence of any of his other friends, nor does he notice that Sesshoumaru has come out of Kaede's dwelling to watch from the sidelines. Inuyasha roughly pushes past Miroku and stands squarely in front of Kagome. "You dare come and face me, you murderer! Does it feel good to have your soul back, traitor? I sure hope that your conspiring was worth it, although it really isn't your soul in the first place- it was hers! Do you have something to say to me? Do you have the nerve to simply apologize when nothing that you say means anything?"

Kagome sighs and tries not to cry as she sees how upset Inuyasha is. She closes her eyes lightly for a moment, but when she opens her eyes, his golden orbs still burn steadfast into her own. "Inuyasha, I am sorry for your loss, but I will not apologize for a crime that I did not commit. There's more here…"

"Did not commit?" He silences her as much as possible. "That's right. You got my father in on the act, didn't you? Tell me- was it his idea to begin with or was it yours?"

Kagome ignores his insulting questions and continues. "There's more here that you know, Inuyasha. You did not see what happened before, so you do not know the whole story. We did not conspire against Kikyo. She made a choice and suffered the consequences."

Inuyasha looks away briefly and flexes his hand as if to strangle her with it. "You two set her up!"

Kagome's anger begins to kick in more and she yells right back at him. "No, we did not! I didn't even know what would happen if she touched the pendant. How was I supposed to know? I barely know anything about it myself! I thought it was just a carved piece of wood!" She holds it up for inspection.

"You and Nozomi got so close and she was always anti-Kikyo in the first place. Why didn't she give the thing to Kikyo when she had so much more power than you do?"

Kagome bristles at being compared to Kikyo yet again. "I don't know and you know what? It doesn't matter! She's gone- I'm sorry that you lost her again, but it's done!"

"At least Kikyo wasn't a murderer."

"Although she tried to kill me once? Besides, that was a cheap and untrue shot, Inuyasha. More than that, she was the one who tried to steal the necklace after your father explicitly told her it was a bad idea! No, she just had to try and take it from me. I didn't think that it would hurt her. Besides, you wouldn't have even been able to say goodbye to her if it hadn't been for your father taking us all to Equilibrium in the first place! Once there, Kikyo was able to let go and tell you that she loved you. She even told you a bunch of times that it was her fault and for you not to blame us! You are going against her wishes and you say that you love her!"

"Keh! More lies!"

"If you aren't going to listen to me at all, there is no point in continuing this conversation. You are refusing to listen to the truth just because you are so frustrated that you don't know who to blame. I can understand that and so I am going to try and be the bigger person to allow you to treat me this way." She turns on her heel and begins walking away. She walks a few steps, stops and turns around. "Or maybe not… OSUWARI!"

As Inuyasha finds himself deep in a hole, Kaede comes up behind Kagome and greets her. "Welcome back, child. How was your trip? I can't wait to hear all about it- the good and the bad."

Kagome smiles a bit, but still feels stressed and angry. "Thank you. I am glad, I guess, to be back. I sure have a lot to tell you."

Kaede nods. "My sister is at peace now. I am so glad."

Kagome looks surprised. "How did you know that?"

"I could sense it and frankly, I could almost hear her telling me goodbye."

"He hasn't forgiven me, although it wasn't my fault."

Kaede briefly puts her hand on Kagome's shoulder to comfort her. "It'll be alright. He'll remember the truth in time. Come on; let's relax and eat some lunch."

Sango, Miroku, Shippo and Kirara nod in assent and begin to follow Kaede and Kagome back to eat some lunch.

(break)

Meanwhile, Inuyasha looks up from the bottom of the hole. Part of him is sorry for the way that spoke to Kagome. He dismisses that feeling as much as he can and sits up. He looks away into the woods and considers everything that Kagome said. _What if I am mistaken? What if Kikyo really did start it by accident? Nah, that can't be true._ Kikyo's voice echoes again in his head about how it was her fault. _That must be a delusion created by Kagome's lies. Oh Kikyo, help me. What is the truth?_

(break)

That's it for this one! Also, should I put Kouga in the fic? I think I will. Anyone have any particular ideas?

Random note to those of legal drinking age: Anyone tried the wine Conundrum by Caymus? Doesn't it rock? Treana White and Evolution by Sokol Blosser are also delicious white blends. I will stop there or write another chapter about wine. The reason I mention it is that I used the word conundrum in the chapter and could almost taste the elixir in my mouth. I'm a wine fan- what can I say? I've even had sake a couple of times! Still, fresh sake- and sake is not meant to age much- is harder to find in this country than you'd expect. Anyway, there's a random aside for you.

**Please review! I didn't ask last time and so no one did! So I'm asking!**


	18. Code of Honor

Ok, so I thought that I wouldn't update for a bit because I wasn't getting any feedback- except for Twilight Myst and Kagome-chan2004 from Mediaminer! Thank you two for your support. It meant so much to me! As for the rest of you, shame! Just kidding. I know that you are all busy and stuff and I know that I'll eventually write this story anyways, because I want to. I am not abandoning this story. Now that my personal issues are out of the way, there's nothing but school work to hold me back.

Also, Sesshoumaru may seem a little OOC in the beginning of this chapter, but he is changing. The ring is working on him and the truce between him and Inuyasha is giving him a chance to play a role he denied himself before. Of course, he thinks that he is completely doing this for his father, since his father asked him to look after Inuyasha.

**This chapter is dedicated to Twilight Myst and Kagome-chan2004**!

Phase 2

Chapter 18: Code of Honor

"Never give in! Never give in! Never, never, never. Never -- in anything great or small, large or petty -- never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense." – Sir Winston Churchill

"Sadder than destitution, sadder than a beggar is the man who eats alone in public. Nothing more contradicts the laws of man or beast, for animals always do each other the honor of sharing or disputing each other's food." – Jean Baudrillard

(break)

Sesshoumaru watches as the humans, the kitsune and the fire cat walk away. He can plainly see how Kagome's shoulders are partially slumped as she effortfully puts one foot in front of the other. He wonders what happened briefly, but quickly puts the pieces together from his recollection of what she and Inuyasha said. _The dead miko attempted to take the necklace from the girl and perished. Before the consequences took her, Father took them to Equilibrium._ He nods to himself, remembering what Inutaisho told him about the place that is not a place. _Then, the girl cried for the hanyou's pain and he immediately blamed her for what happened to the dead miko. Such actions are typical of him, but amazingly dishonorable to his future mate. Father told me to take care of her. _He shudders slightly at this. _Take care of a pathetic miko- for shame- but more for shame if I do not honor Father's request. How can Inuyasha not recognize how he feels? He has so many weak feelings and yet he still can neither control nor recognize them. He is truly an idiot. Right now, I need to talk to Inuyasha and teach him what Father did not. Father, I am doing as you asked, so do not question my honor._

(break)

Throb… Throb… Throb. Inuyasha rubs his head as a brand-new headache pounds in his temples. He sits up in the hole created when Kagome subdued him. Rubbing his head with more vigor, he lightly growls. He can no longer hear his friends talking, nor can he see them, for they have moved away. In his mind, he can only imagine the conversations that they are all having… most likely about him. _It's amazing that they were so quick to take her side. Wait- that's not a surprise! Whenever there is doubt, they always take her side over mine. Keh! It never fails. I am the one to blame, according to them- end of story. It's not fair! They've known me for as long as they've known Kagome, so why are they so much more loyal to her?_

He notices a chipmunk run past him and take possession of a groundnut. The tiny animal watches Inuyasha out of the corner of his eye, in case the hanyou wants to attack him. For the moment, he has no problem with the forager. His mind is elsewhere. The small animal realizes this and moves on with his precious cargo in tow.

Deep in thought, Inuyasha lays back and watches the fluffy clouds glide across the azure sky. _Why do they take her side all the time? I know that I have made some mistakes in the past, like when she saw Kikyo and me together. Whenever something happens that upsets her, she runs back to the future and comes back smelling like salt from the tears and they all blame me. Man, I hate it when women cry, especially when Kagome does it. She seems to do it an awful lot. There were times when I knew that my mom wanted to cry, but she held in her tears. Women's tears always make me feel so… helpless._

_Back then, in Equilibrium, she was crying when I saw her. I couldn't smell her tears, but there was something strange about that place. She was crying, but I don't know why. It could have been an act._ Part of him chastises him for that thought. _Ok, so maybe it wasn't an act. If not, what on Earth was it?_

At this moment, he looks up into two cool, golden eyes. A moment later, he stands up to face the imposing presence of his regal and immaculate brother. Inuyasha's hair is dirty from lying in the hole and part of him feels annoyed to face his brother in this ruffled state. "Sesshoumaru, what brings you out here?" Inuyasha's body unconsciously moves into a fighting stance, as if he senses a challenge.

Sesshoumaru stands with perfect posture and does not move to put himself in an unnecessary fighting stance. "Inuyasha, I wish to speak with you, not fight with you. Your fighting stance is unnecessary, not that your readiness would save you if I could fight you. I am bound not to hurt you for the moment, as you know."

Inuyasha's eyes narrow, but his stance diminishes a tad. "What do you want, Sesshoumaru? Do you have some brotherly advice to share with me?"

"As a matter of fact, yes, I do, as much as it pains me. I cannot allow you to shame yourself, your blood and your family. Despite your tainted blood, you are of the bloodline of Inutaisho. That honor brings obligations, Inuyasha. You do remember at least some of the youkai code of honor?"

Inuyasha sighs and rolls his eyes. "Sesshoumaru, maybe you should stop your lecture there, because when it comes to playing big brother, you suck!"

Sesshoumaru's irises flash red momentarily, but he calms immediately. "Inuyasha," he growls, "please show some courtesy. I know that you were not raised that way, but it is necessary to live a civilized life."

Inuyasha shakes his fist at the proud taiyoukai. "I am civilized- more so than you are!"

"I doubt that, but that is not the point, Inuyasha. We must discuss recent events and your response to them."

Inuyasha raises his eyebrow gently. "To which events do you refer dear aniki?"

Sesshoumaru's mask momentarily wavers as he detests this form of address from Inuyasha as much as his previous style. "If you mean to try the limits of patience, you are succeeding, whelp."

"All right," says Inuyasha. His headache escalates in waves of pain. "My head hurts too much to continue these games. What the heck are you talking about? What have I done now?"

"You are bound to protect the girl, but recently, your actions have been dishonorable."

"You mean Kagome!" Sesshoumaru lightly nods. Inuyasha's eyes narrow. "I am not bound to her! She is just a human wench from the future and yet you insinuate that there is more than that between us. Besides, if anyone did anything dishonorable, she did, not I." His anger escalates once more as he forgets his thoughts from a couple minutes ago.

Sesshoumaru does not move, but inwardly sighs. "Whether she is more than that to you or not, Inuyasha, you promised her that you would give her strength and protect her. You are bound by honor to fulfill that promise for at least the duration of this escapade."

Inuyasha opens his mouth to retort, but stops immediately. _I did say that, didn't I?_, he thinks to himself. _I am bound to Kagome. Damn! He has a point, but still… _Inuyasha whines, "But she betrayed me- shouldn't the promise become null and void under the circumstances?"

"You know the code. Those were not the terms under which you made the promise." Inuyasha's face becomes increasingly sullen-looking. Sesshoumaru continues, "But despite that, you do not have proof that she betrayed you in the first place."

Quietly and angrily, the hanyou answers, "Even you are on her side, aren't you, Sesshoumaru?"

"I am on no one's side."

"Then what do you mean?"

"I was listening to the girl's defense to your accusations earlier. Her explanation is logical, more logical than yours is in fact. Your anger is the answer to most anything that you do not know or like. You let your emotions get the better of you. You need to learn to control your pitiful human emotions."

Not knowing how to respond exactly, he says, "So you are on her side! Besides, why do you care so much? Why are you getting involved?"

"Honor demands it of me, as much as I despise it. You must cease this detestable stubbornness and continue to protect the girl. You are mistaken and I hope that your feeble hanyou brain will become aware of this in time. Honor demands much of us, Inuyasha. I will not cease to remind you of your responsibilities in the hope that you will learn while I am here."

Inuyasha looks at his brother with a mocking grin. "So what? Should I take notes and follow your every move, sensei?"

"Remember what I said." Sesshoumaru walks away. He turns for a moment. "You will keep the code, or I will make you."

Inuyasha defiantly yells, "I'd love to see you try!" Still, Sesshoumaru does not turn around to exchange insults. He quickly disappears and leaves the hanyou alone, again.

(break)

Kagome picks at her stew with her chopsticks. The smell makes her mouth water, but her mind is not on the food. Her mind is back there with Inuyasha, reliving the scene from before. Without thinking, she picks up a piece of meat with her chopsticks and places the hot, flavorful morsel into her mouth. A split-second later, she reflexively spits the hot meat out. Trying to be as composed as possible, she takes a sip of cool, purified water from the bottle her mother gave her a couple winters ago. The white bottle automatically filters water as she drinks and has probably saved her from infection more times than she would want to count.

Shippo sniffs the air and smiles. "Rin is coming. Can I serve her some food so that she gets some, Kaede? I don't want to run out and have her go hungry tonight."

Kaede looks up and smiles with all of her wrinkles forming little rivers on her face. "Yes, child. Of course ye may. That would be a kind gesture." Shippo smiles and begins making a bowl for the sweet, little girl who had become his friend. A moment later, Rin runs out of the woods with Jaken in hot pursuit, although he is panting especially unattractively. He stops in relief and leans on his staff to catch his breath.

Shippo calls, "Rin, are you hungry? I saved you some of Kaede's stew."

Rin nods. "Yes, thank you so much! Rin was sooo hungry!"

"You are welcome, Rin. Eat up!"

The girl begins eating with relish as Sesshoumaru comes up behind her. She begins to get up, but he motions for her to stay and finish her meal. She gushes, "Hello, Sesshoumaru-sama! Rin is very glad to see you!" He doesn't respond, but she grins happily.

Meanwhile, Jaken prostrates himself on the ground. "Sesshoumaru-sama, where have you been? The girl has been torturing me again. Isn't this a waste of my time and talent?"

Sesshoumaru quietly answers, "No, it's not. Leave me be and be silent, Jaken."

Jaken frowns and steps back, but nods. "Of course, Sesshoumaru-sama."

Inuyasha appears nearby, behind Kagome. He comes closer and everyone, except Sesshoumaru, Jaken, Rin and Kaede stare at him to see what he will do. He looks into the cauldron without comment and makes a bowl for himself. After grabbing some chopsticks, he walks so that he stands directly in front of Kagome. "Kagome, I cannot apologize for what I said earlier. I will protect you as I said that I would; I am bound by the youkai code of honor." His eyes momentarily glance to his half-brother, but a human would not have noticed it. "You must understand that I will fulfill my duties to you, but nothing else will occur. We are not friends, not after what you did. I know that you say that you did not betray me. We shall see with time. I will watch you and see what is truly in your heart- friendship or treachery."

Kagome has not looked up at him; she looks down into her lap, where the cooling stew sits. She closes her eyes and whispers, "In America, they say that one is innocent until proven guilty, Inuyasha." Even Sesshoumaru looks at her after she says this.

"This is not America, Kagome." With that, he walks out of the clearing and sits down by himself to eat.

She mumbles, "No, it is not. I don't know what this is."

After a minute of silence, Miroku comments, "Well, that could have gone worse, Kagome-sama. At least he will act civilized from now on."

Shippo has an uncertain look in his eyes. "This is civilized? I don't know about that. America sounds more civilized- that innocence thing."

Kagome half-smiles. "The country has its faults as every country does. Besides, the definition of civilized is created by each culture. There is no one definition." She sighs. "Honor- I guess that I should be glad for this, but the tension will not go away until he understands what really happened."

Sango nods sympathetically. "Still, he was more open to the concept that you may be right. Time is already working its magic, Kagome-chan."

Inuyasha, who has heard all of this, sighs as he devours his meal, wishing that it was ramen. He wishes to join the group, but he feels the chasm that he erected. Alone on the imaginary precipice with his friends on the other side, he thinks, _this sucks._

(break)

OK, c'est fin for now. I'll be back with another chapter soon. This is my _birthday_ gift to you- as of 11/17 I am 23, so let's celebrate. **Please review, peeps! Please!**


	19. Official Declaration of War

Ok here's the next chapter.

Phase 2

Chapter 19: Official Declaration of War

"Nothing is so strong as gentleness and nothing is so gentle as real strength."- Ralph W. Sockman

(break)

Everyone sits and eats their meal. Inuyasha finishes his meal nearby, but does not move to join the group until a familiar scent causes him to leap to his feet. He bounds back to the rest and finds that Sesshoumaru has already informed the rest of the unwelcome presence.

Inuyasha casts a wary eye around the clearing and gutturally vocalizes, "Naraku…"

A familiar white baboon outfit appears, seemingly complete with the evil being inside it. Inuyasha raises his hackles and snarls. Naraku looks at him with amusement dancing in his eyes. He cursorily examines the group. His eyes focus on the proud Lord of the Western Lands. "So, Sesshoumaru, you have done the impossible and joined forces with your weak hanyou of a brother."

Sesshoumaru does not move. He responds, "Naraku, you have done the impossible and have come out of hiding."

"I was not in hiding. I was in the midst of preparations. You must understand- being a taiyoukai and all- the daily pressures of ruling. Of course, your reign will end soon…" He shrugs. Sesshoumaru does not grace the evil hanyou with a response.

Naraku moves on to a new target. "Inuyasha, how is the time traveling going? I hear that there is trouble in paradise. I must give you my most heartfelt," he pauses to grin sarcastically, "condolences for the loss of Kikyo. It is a horrible thing to die in such a manner, especially at the hands of your second choice and your father."

Inuyasha growls. "Do not speak of Kikyo. Her name should never come out of your lips. Do not speak of that wench as a second choice. She is nothing."

Naraku smiles. "But you will protect her, won't you? That shows where your loyalties lie. Do not deny it; I can understand. They were and are desirable and useful women," he says conspiratorially.

Inuyasha rolls his eyes. "Kikyo was, but get this straight- I protect that girl only out of honor." Kagome closes her eyes in frustration, but does not feel surprised by his response.

Naraku moves on to her as he sees her reaction. "Kagome, dear, why do you put up with him? Why don't you go home to your time and stay there? Let the stubborn fool do it on his own. I'll leave your friends alone if you do."

"As if that would be a bargain even if I could trust you, Naraku."

Naraku comes a bit closer, but she backs off to maintain a fair distance. He stops and grins. "Inuyasha doesn't believe you, does he? He is so blinded by his love for Kikyo that he won't even listen to you. Why do you bother to stay?"

"I have a mission, Naraku, and I will continue it."

His lips curve upwards in a taunting smile. "Would you continue if your friends would get hurt?"

She gestures to those around her. "We are all here and are prepared."

"No, you misunderstand. Your friends in the future would not be as prepared, would they? How would you like for them to be exposed for what they really are, Kagome, or how would you like any of them to be tortured to death as experimental subjects for our efforts?" He glances at Sango with a cruel look, "What about Kohaku?"

The blood drains from the two women's faces. Kagome ventures, "You know where..."

"You took us right to them and they took us to others. I must thank you for your efforts. You were quite useful. Would you like a tip?'

Kagome feels slightly sick. Her wit intact, she answers, "No, keep the change. You've done enough."

"I do so hate to hurt people," Naraku continues. They glare at his lie. "If you do not cease your futile efforts, I'm afraid that I must attack on all fronts."

Kagome bravely responds, "Your warning only means that we are a threat to you, which we are. We accepted that we would be fighting a difficult battle at the beginning."

He applauds her comment in a fake manner. "Stubborn as always, never giving up even when you know better- just like your beloved Inuyasha. I thought that you might be smarter than that."

Sesshoumaru comments, "Although that is true about them, there is no reason not to fight." He cracks his whip and the puppet falls to the ground in two pieces.

Inuyasha grumbles, "What a waste of time!"

Kagome comments, "No, it's not completely a waste of time. Now we know that the war has truly begun. We can expect his countermeasures and prepare. We need to find any allies that we can wherever and whenever we can. First, I'll go back to the future for a moment and warn everyone there. They need to be aware of the increasing danger." She grabs her bag and begins to run towards Goshinboku. When she gets there, someone familiar is waiting for her. "Inuyasha…"

He leans against a nearby tree and regards her. "I told you that I would protect you. It's dangerous there and we can't have you getting hurt."

Kagome shakes her head and nods, but inside feels happy. "Alright, Inuyasha, let's go." To Goshinboku, she says, "Hello Goshinboku. How are you?"

"Hello, Kagome. I'm fine. It's good to see you. Hello, Inuyasha."

The hanyou responds, "What no insults for my stupidity or remarks about how I'm wrong and she's right?"

The tree simply says, "Nope."

Inuyasha grumbles, "Well, you're pretty much the only one then."

The ancient tree does not respond to Inuyasha's statement and says, "Kagome, do you want to try to spell on your own? Remember the difference that I told you about forward and backward and the names of the times?" She nods. "Ok, give it a try."

She sighs and concentrates. Then she realizes something is missing. She turns to Inuyasha and starts, "Inuyasha, if you are coming, we need to… hold hands."

He bristles, but reluctantly gives her his hand. Then he tenses and tries to make the hand holding have as little skin contact as possible. She sighs, but pushes those thoughts of her head to do the spell. To her amazement and joy, she successfully performs the spell.

She dashes into the house and sees Nobu and Miyoko playing video games with Souta. Inuyasha walks in behind her. Souta pauses the game and excitedly greets Inuyasha. "Inu-no-nii-chan! You've come to visit me!" Inuyasha shrugs and gives an insincere smile. "These are my new friends, Nobu and Miyoko."

The two look up at him and smile knowingly at him. Miyoko appears to be as human as Nobu as they chorus, "Hello, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha glances at them before letting out a keh and going back outside. Kagome shakes her head after him and gives them an exasperated smile. "Hey, everyone. It's so good to see you again. Nobu, Miyoko, don't mind Inuyasha. You know why he's being a pain."

Miyoko gives her a cheeky smile. "Not that he isn't a pain most of the time, right, Kagome?"

Kagome nods and quietly agrees. "Indeed. Shippo left little out, didn't he? What have you told Souta?"

Nobu smiles and replies, "Some, but not all. We haven't had time to tell him everything. He still won't believe that Inuyasha is a pain. He idolizes that guy."

Souta objects to the comment, "I do not! Inu-no-nii-chan is just cool. You weren't there, so you don't know. Why would my sister fall for someone who's not cool?"

Kagome sweatdrops and thinks how this is getting a little too close to home and a little out of hand. She says aloud, "Enough about all that- there are important things to talk about besides that."

Souta whispers to his new friends, "I told you that she wouldn't deny it." They nod in assent and Nobu forks over a little cash. They turn to Miyoko.

She says, "Souta, you bet me that Inuyasha wouldn't come back with her. I win, so we're even."

Kagome grimaces. _Now they are betting on my love life- nonexistent though it seems at the moment._ "Souta, stop that or I'll tell Mom that you're gambling!"

Souta narrows his eyes. "Betting about little things like that isn't exactly gambling."

"Explain that to Mom."

He sighs and the others give him sympathetic looks. "Oh alright, you spoilsport."

Kagome turns to Miyoko. "Can you tell your father something for me? Go home now and tell him that Naraku has officially declared war on all of us in all time periods. You must all be very careful and warn everyone that you know- you know what I mean. This is extremely important."

A voice in the door replies, "What is important?" They turn and notice Shippo, also in his human disguise, at the door with Inuyasha peering in behind him.

Kagome smiles in relief. "Naraku has officially declared war on us in all times, Shippo. We must be more careful. They know where your family and your friends' families are." Inuyasha turns and stares at the mature youkai before him as Shippo's disguise falls away. Miyoko also allows her true attributes to show. Inuyasha glances back and forth between the two of them with his jaw practically glued to the floor.

Meanwhile, Shippo's smile evaporates as Kagome's news sinks in. He sets his mouth in a grim line of acceptance. "I remember that confrontation. Alright, but let Miyoko carry the message. Let me come with you and Inuyasha."

Kagome looks at Shippo for a moment before realization dawns on her. Meanwhile, Inuyasha looks at his old friend, completely confused. "But you can't… Goshinboku told you…"

"Told me that I couldn't go as I was. I wasn't old enough. Kane is my counterpart, Inuyasha. I was just too young in the Sengoku Jidai. If you don't believe me, when we go and see Nozomi, ask her and let her tell you."

Kagome nods and throws her hands up into the air. "Alright. There is little time to argue. Let's go. Come on Inuyasha." She consults with the tree to be sure of the incantation and then holds Shippo's and Inuyasha's hand takes them back to Inutaisho's time.

(break)

Sorry this one is not as long as the other ones, but those were pretty long. Please review. I may update if no one reviews, but I reserve the right not to. I'm begging people you, say something and review!

I have been a little obnoxious about the lack of reviews- surely you can understand my frustration, but I didn't need to take it out on you. I write this story for all of you who have been loyal from the beginning and to all those new. It's about getting the story out there and getting it read, not about how many reviews that it gets. I was convicted about this yesterday and I just had to say something, so I apologize.


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